Out of Time
by MysticArt
Summary: Several months after Edward left Bella comes to several conclusions about their time together. In an effort to move on, she finds herself in his meadow, and somehow transported to the past. She meets up with a familiar face and works towards her future.
1. Conclusions

**All Characters belong to SM, I'm just changing the story up for my own amusement. **

**This has been edited by my wonderful beta Karisgrace!  
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_**Chapter 1: **_

**Conclusions**

I was sitting in my room contemplating how the last several months of my life have been flowing by me like a swiftly running river. It has now been five months since that fated day when _he_ asked me to go for a walk with him in the woods. For the most part, I am unable to even remember what happened over the months following that day as I had been so lost in my own world of hurt and grief. For months I have just been living a half life, if you can even call it that. I would go to school, work, and then home, pretending to care, putting on a careful façade to keep everyone I care about happy. The problem was I could only do it for so long, and the longer that I pretended to be fine, the more numb I became to the world around me. Numb from the pain but also numb from any happiness that may have occurred as well. The huge hole that _he_ left in my heart was unable to start healing and the jagged edges would never meet. Even if I could move past the pain there would always be scar tissue left behind that would be a reminder in the future.

He once told me he was selfish and I did not believe him thinking that such perfection could not be flawed. He was right though, he was incredibly selfish and the more I think about the more I hate him for it. Months later, here I sit still trying to get past the pain. The only thing that I can think about is why. Why had he done this to me? I know he loved me, even if I had momentarily believed him when he took me in the forest. Once he was gone and I had gotten myself lost in the wood while trying to follow him, I started to think about all the times that he had told me he loved me and all the times that we spent together. He was far too tender and loving to have been pretending. Maybe he had loved me and just gotten tired of it as he was saying. Yet, I found that hard to believe as well. That only left one conclusion and it is the one that I have been struggling with over the last few days.

He had to have been trying to save me and my humanity from his world. After my stupid birthday party and what happened with Jasper he freaked out. I knew that he never wanted to me become like him, as he thought himself a soulless monster. I knew better though. He was not a monster or soulless. He was, however, a selfish boy that did not understand that this was my life and I should have more say as to what I wanted to do with it then he should have. I always loved him and was willing to give up my humanity to stay by his side. That had been my right to decide, not his to dictate. The more I walked down this path the more frustrated and angry I became. For all of his love and self sacrificing he had completely disregarded me and my happiness. It was time that I started to live for me. With all of the conclusions I was beginning to see just how out of balance our relationship had been. This knowledge did not make losing him any easier, but it did help me to know in my heart that even if he did come back I could never take him back. I had changed far too much and the ironic thing is he is the one who pushed me to change with his idiocy. One day I may be able to forgive him for what he has done but currently if I saw him I would try my hardest to smack the stupid right out of him. I decided that I would at least work on loving myself and I need to start moving on and really mean it. First things first, I would let him go. In order to truly be free of him I needed to go to the place that meant the most to us. I needed to find our meadow so that I could move on.

I heard a car door close and it pulled me out of my thoughts; Charlie must have just gotten home. I had finished my homework like the dedicated student that I was. Laughing slightly to myself over that concept, I went down the stairs to see what he wanted for dinner. I had been neglecting him over the last several months of wallowing and wanted to make up for it. "Hey dad I was just coming down to make dinner what would you like tonight?"

He turned from the front door and looked at me standing on the stairway before replying, "Oh, hey Bells. Well, I actually brought home pizza with me. I know you haven't felt like cooking so I wanted to make it easy for you."

I laughed inwardly. Yeah, "haven't felt like cooking" was a complete understatement. The poor man has been bringing home dinner almost every night now for the past five months. "That sounds good, but tomorrow I'm making something special so don't bring anything home with you," I requested.

He did a double take at me and I could see a hopeful look in his eye. Charlie was a wonderful father but we had a strict policy of keeping emotions to ourselves. "Bells you seem different are you feeling better?"

"Well, I know that the last few months have been pretty rough. I was thinking over everything today and I came to a few conclusions. I'm not over everything, but it's time to move on."

He took in what I told him and seemed to be thinking it over. Finally, he came to a decision after staring at me for a minute. "I know it's been tough, I remember when your mom and left and took you away. It was like my heart had been ripped out and stomped on. I still love her very much, but eventually I worked through the pain. I just wanted to let you know that it will always hurt on some level, but it does get easier."

He gave me a small smile. This was more then he has ever confided to me about his lost relationship with mom. I guess in some ways we will always be able to understand each other when it comes to heartache."Come on kid the pizzas getting cold and there's a game on in just a few minutes."

Our heart to heart was over apparently. _The man never ceases to amaze me_, I laughed to myself.

He suddenly turned around again. "Oh, and Bells, just one more piece of advice from your old man. Friends can make a world of difference. I was down at the res the other day fishing with Billy and Jacob was asking how you were. Maybe you could spend some time with him. You may just find a good friend in him."

I gave him a small smile in return. "I may just do that dad. When are you going fishing with Billy again?

We headed into the kitchen to grab some pizza to take back in the living room. "Well we are supposed to go tomorrow actually. Want to go with me? You could hang out with Jake while I go fishing with Billy."

I had a sneaking suspicion that he had been meaning to bring this up even before our uncharacteristic chat. "Sure, I would love to go."

He plopped down in his La-Z-Boy, settled in for the game, grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. I decided to head upstairs with my dinner and give Jacob a call to see what he wanted to do tomorrow. I had already guessed that Charlie had talked to him about it. I set my dinner on the desk and grabbed my phone to give him a call.

The phone rang twice before someone answered. "Hello is Jacob there, this is Bella"

"Oh, hey Bella, its Jake. What are you doing?"

"Well I just finished talking to Charlie and he said that I could come with him tomorrow and I wanted to know if you would like to hang out. I'm sure he already had a chat with you about that though."

He chuckled a little while responding, "Yeah, he may have mentioned to me about seeing if you would like to come with him. I don't really have anything planed, but we could go hang out at the beach or in the garage. There's really not much to do around here. "

"Sounds like a plan to me Jake. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight"

"'Night, Bells. see you tomorrow."

With that I hung up. Jake seemed like a nice boy, we had not hung out since the day I was at First Beach and he told me the legend about the Cullens. I had always planned on getting to know him better, but was always with _him_ so did not get the chance. _Oh well_, I thought as I shrugged my shoulders, _no time like the present_.

I finished my dinner and took my dishes to the kitchen. On my way back through I stopped to say goodnight to Charlie. "Goodnight dad. What time are we leaving?"

Charlie turned to me from the TV. "I was thinking around seven or so. 'Night kid"

I gave him a nod and went upstairs to grab my shower bag and pajamas. The shower was amazing and I stayed under the hot water relaxing until it started to run cold. I was brushing my hair and looking into the mirror and for the first time since _he_ left I really looked at myself. My hair was ragged from not having had a proper haircut in months, I had deep bruises under my eyes from not getting any sleep, and my body was much thinner than before. I grabbed my clothes and headed to my room, throwing my dirty clothes in the hamper.

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**All comments are welcome and appreciated. **

I got in bed and snuggled under the covers, letting sleep overtake me.


	2. Friends

**All owned by SM**

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_**Chapter 2:**_

**Friends**

_Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep…_

My alarm was going off and I really could not bring myself to care, stupid alarm. I swung my arm out from under the covers and tried to locate the snooze button. I swear whoever designed this torture device made it as hard as possible to turn the damn thing off.

Finally, I had to give up and just get out of bed to turn the stupid thing off. I heard Charlie coming down the hallway, and then he knocked on my door a couple of times. "Rise n' shine Bells, it's time to get up!"

Oh hell no! I do not know where he gets to be so freaking chipper in the morning. I definitely did not inherit that trait from him.

"Bells?"

I stumbled around for a moment trying to get my balance, which was surprisingly not too difficult given my penchant for my butt meeting the ground on a regular basis. "Yeah, yeah I'm working on it."

I could hear him lightly laughing on the other side of my door, "I'm going to make some coffee do you want some?"

Good question. I was not normally a coffee drinker, however, I was in the mood for the bitter stuff. "Yeah, dad, I think I will have some today."

I heard him turn and make his way downstairs, funny he could barely make toast, yet he knew how to make coffee. _Guess it all comes down to priorities_, I laughed to myself.

Hmmm what to wear, what to wear? I wandered over to my closet and looked for my favorite jeans, and a nice shirt, then grabbed my much worn and very comfortable hoodie that was thrown over the back of my rocking chair.

I had slept much better last night then I had since _he_ left me. I went over the dream from last night in my mind and was happy to find that it had nothing to do with him for a change.

…_..I was running through the woods behind my house following one of the many trails that weave through the forest. In my dream I was traveling with the speed of a vampire, and did not trip over a single root. I found the spot to which I had been heading it was a beautiful clearing in the trees that had a stream running through it with a water fall. It was a small stream surrounded by gorgeous wild flowers. The sun was shining through the dense tree canopy in streams of lights that gave the area a very magical feel. There was a large flat bolder that was sitting at the edge of the stream with a beam of light shining on it. The moss had a very fresh yet musty smell but was overpowered by the fresh scent of wildflowers. I walked to the boulder and lay down across it enjoying the warmth of the sun. I noticed rainbows out of the corner of my eye and swiftly turned to see if anyone was there but it was just me. I looked down at my hand and gasped as the light bounced off of the pale skin there making dozens of rainbows all around me. I was mesmerized by how my skin looked in the sun, and then I heard a twig branch snap and turned to look in its direction. The breeze brought a delicious scent with it that smelled of apples, cinnamon and sweetness, almost like a fresh baked apple pie. It smelled absolutely amazing. Then the most stunning man I have ever seen stepped out from behind one of the trees surrounding my little clearing…_

Definitely the best dream that I have had in a really long time, though I wish that it had not ended when it did. I did not even get a chance to see the details of his handsome face.

I walked downstairs and made my way to the kitchen, stopping to grab a few cans left on the coffee table that Charlie must have forgotten about last night as he made his way to bed. Going into the kitchen I saw that he was sitting in his normal position, his nose in the newspaper, while sipping on a steaming cup of coffee.

He briefly glanced up to me from the article he was reading and mentioned, "Made it kind of strong this morning, you may want to water it down just a tad." He had a gleam in his eye from the humor he found in the situation, knowing full well that I did not really like the black stuff to begin with.

"That's ok, I'm thinking tea would be a healthier choice for me anyway." He knew that this would likely happen, so he just gave me a wink and went back to reading his paper.

I took the tea pot and filled it with hot water so that it would start to boil that much faster and then put it on the stove on high. I did not want to have to wait long for my tea. I needed something to warm me up from the damp cold that was a Forks winter morning. I went back to the cupboards and got the pop tarts down deciding on which flavor to have for breakfast. _Hmm, I think cinnamon_, they really smelled good and reminded me of the stranger from my dream last night.

We sat together in silence while waiting for my water to boil. Charlie would "hmm" in approval or let out a slight breath in irritation, depending on what he was reading at the moment. I stared at the front page, looking over the captions seeing if anything of interest was happening. Not likely, but you never know. One caption did get my interest. Apparently, people were still being found in Seattle that had been burnt to a crisp in alley ways and dumpsters. The police had no clue as to what was going on and no leads on the individual responsible. It was disturbing to me that someone could be as cruel as to not only kill, but completely destroy the bodies so that the families could not even see their family members one last time.

The kettle whistled, pulling me out of my deeply depressed thoughts. I went to grab the water and filled the mug, dumping the rest down the drain. I let the tea cool down a little before drinking it down. Once finished Charlie folded the paper and threw it down on the table, "Ready kid?"

"Yeah, let's hit the road." We turned and made our way out of the house, getting into the cruiser to head to La Push. Charlie had already packed all of the fishing gear and was chomping at the bit to get out on the water.

The ride was blissfully quiet which was the norm for us, and I was left to my thoughts. Before long we were pulling up in front of Billy's little red house and Jacob came barreling out the door. He came right over to my door and pulled it open for me before I even had a chance to unbuckle my seat belt. "Dang, Jake, where's the fire?" I laughed at him, "Aww, you are quite the gentleman."

He grinned at me with a huge smile showing off all of his beautiful white teeth that glistened against the contrast of his russet skin. "Bells, you know me. Always trying to impress the ladies." He playfully winked at me and then offered his hand to help me out of the car, then pulled me into a hug. "Missed you, Bells." He put me back on the ground, which was a good thing, otherwise my breakfast may have made a comeback and not in a good way. I could hear Charlie chuckling at us somewhere to the right of me.

I took a good look at Jake and let out a whistle. He was stacked with muscle that he had not had before and looked as though he grew quite a few inches. "Jake, you need to lay off the roids. You do know they aren't good for you, right?"

He just laughed at me and his grin grew even more, "Naw, that's just how we grow down here. If you were around more it wouldn't be such a surprise to you." We may not have spent time together recently, but I have always thought of him as the little brother that I never had.

"So, what's the plan for today, oh great wise and mighty one?"

"Ha-ha Bells, your such a comedian." He turned to go into the house as I followed behind. "Well, today is supposed to be pretty pleasant. I thought we could head down to the beach and then later my friends are going to meet up with us and we were thinking about hanging out in the garage. They are helping me with getting the rabbit going." He grabbed a light jacket and we headed down to the beach together.

We walked for a little while in silence before Jake started to ask questions, some of which I had no answer for. "You seem much better today then what your dad was telling us before. Are you over Edward now?"

_That was pretty blunt and to the point_, I laughed to myself. "Well, that's a tough one to answer. To be honest, I came to a few conclusions last night that have helped, and although I am starting to get over him, he will always hold a place in my heart. You know first love and all that."

"So what would you do if he came back?"

"I really don't know Jake. Well, that's not completely true. I know I would never take him back as my boyfriend, but I don't know how I would react other than that."

Jake just gave me a sidelong glance. "Mmhmm, that's good to know. The Cullen's aren't good for you, or anyone else with blood for that matter."

"I thought you didn't buy into those superstitions." We arrived at the beach and started to walk along the water.

Jake snorted, "Well, you could say that my eyes have been opened to the truth, and everything that I told you before has more basis than what I had thought." I could tell that he was frustrated about something and his fists where clenched together at his side, making his knuckles white.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He turned to me with his lips pressed together in a line. "I'm not permitted to say, however I know you're smart and you can figure this out. Let's just say that if one part of the story was true then the entire thing was."

I stood there staring up at him for a few minutes thinking over the story that he had shared with me all those months ago, almost a year ago now really. I started thinking over the treaty that the Cullens had with the Quileutes and why it was so important that they keep the treaty upheld. I knew that it would start a war, and that the Protectors of the tribe would be the ones to exert justice if it was not upheld. Then it hit me. The Protectors! They were supposed to be descendents of wolves, which would make them werewolves. But no, that would not be quite right either. I did not know much about werewolves, but I did learn that children of the moon could only shift during the full moon just like the legends said. The Protectors would be shape shifters. It was the only logical explanation for the mythological world that I had found myself in. "I remember. Wolves, you said that certain people in your tribe turned into wolves." I had a wistful smile on my face remembering how I found out about the world that was a part of my own yet so separate at the same time. "Jake, are you trying to tell me that you turn into a giant hairy dog?" I had to laugh at the mental picture that popped into my head of me throwing a Frisbee while Jake turned into a dog to chase it down.

Jake turned to me again, looking just a bit perplexed, while I was thinking of Frisbee fetching Jakie-Poo, his furry counterpart. "Bella, you are so odd. You find out that I turn into a giant wolf that could easily hurt you and you stand there with humor in your eyes and a grin on your face."

"Well you have me there, but I know you would never hurt me."

"Bella, you don't know that. Accidents do happen you know. If I was to lose my temper and you were too close I could really hurt you," he pled, trying to make me understand just how dangerous he could be. The funny thing though is that once you have been in a situation where you put your life at risk daily to be with the boy you loved, being friends with a boy who turns into a big, furry wolf was easy. "Jake, my ex was a vampire. Do you really think you are going to scare me away that easily?" I laughed at him as his expression changed from irritation to that of happiness.

"So does that mean I have chance with you? You know, since you seem to like mythical creatures as boyfriends." He ribbed me in the side with his elbow, and laughed.

"Um, no you don't. I know your joking but let me make it absolutely clear so that there is no confusion. I love you as a brother from another mother, I don't do incest, sorry."

He started laughing so hard that he almost fell and then grabbed me up in a hug."Well that's a relief, because I don't either, and kissing you would be like kissing a fish, just yuck"

"Well glad that's cleared up. Lets head back to the house and wait for your friends, and I want to see this rabbit that you have going on and on about." We turned and went back up to the house.

The rest of the day flew by as Jake and I hung out and I met his best friends Embry and Quil. They were a riot to hang out with and I had not laughed so hard since leaving Phoenix. Charlie was back before I was ready to leave, but Jake and I made plans to hang out again soon.

We made it home in record time and Charlie took his fish out to the freezer while I started dinner. I had promised him something special and so decided on his favorite meal, Grandma Swan's beef stroganoff. It was a pretty easy recipe and I was finished before long. Charlie came in to help set the table and then we sat down to a relaxed meal. He told me how his day went with Billy and in exchange told him about my time with Jake and that I planned on hanging out with him again. He was ecstatic that I had indeed found a friend in Jacob.

After dinner was finished and I had cleaned up the kitchen and put the leftovers away, I said goodnight to Charlie and made my way upstairs for an early shower and bedtime. I was excited to see if I had another dream about the mysterious man.

Morning came far too fast. My dream was the same as the previous night's, I still had not gotten a chance to see his features.

I made my way downstairs and saw that Charlie had already left for work. Apparently one of the other officers called off and Charlie decided to fill in for him. Today was the normal overcast with rain, no chance that it would clear. I decided to clean the house a bit, and also tackle my mountain of laundry in desperate need of being washed; otherwise I would soon be wearing paper sacks.

I went down with my hamper and threw some clothes in and went back up to my room to start the homework that I had put off last night. It went by pretty quick. As I finished up, I started thinking about the fact that I would be graduating before long, and had not even put in any college applications yet. It was time to get serious about my future and figure out what I wanted to do with it.

I looked over at the clock and saw that it was already four-thirty so I went down and started dinner. Once it was finished I put it in the oven to stay warm until Charlie got home.

Dinner was a quite affair and was over before long. I decided to call it an early night and went to bed after saying goodnight. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and anticipating my fresh start at school the next morning.

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**Comments welcome and appreciated. **


	3. Gifts

**All Characters owned by the wonderful SM**

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_**Chapter 3:**_

**Gifts**

Monday morning came with a pleasant surprise. It had snowed during the night and the sun was shining through the normally thick cloud cover. I took it as a sign that my day would end up being really great, a new start for a new me. In my thoughts about Edward's leaving I had also discovered that I had lost myself to him. I do not remember being so shy and reserved in Phoenix before moving here. I was much more outgoing and opinionated and at times I even swore. I still do not know where the change came from, but one thing was for sure, my classmates and friends were in for a surprise today. Edward's Bella and the person that I normally am are two very different beings. I could not wait to have a run in with Lauren Mallory. She was seriously going to wish that I never moved here. She was a constant thorn in my side and I actually let her get away with that before, but no more.

I got out of bed and had my morning "human moments" as I use to refer to them when Edward was here. Then I made my way to the closet to pick out my outfit for the day. I had to work at Newton's after school so decided on my normal casual wear, though did spice it up a bit by putting on some makeup which I normally neglected to do.

Charlie was long gone, however, there was a note left on the table letting me know not to expect him home for dinner tonight. He apparently was needed to help with a missing persons case.

I went over to the cupboard and grabbed a package of pop tarts on my way out of the kitchen. I was running late so I hurried to the door got my backpack and then locked the door to the house. Then I ran to my truck trying not to fall on my uncoordinated butt. It was a pretty chilly morning today so I quickly started my beast of a truck. Luckily for me it had a decent heater and before long the cab of The Beast was heated to my satisfaction.

I gunned it to school so that I would not be late for homeroom. It only took me a few minutes to get to school and I whipped into the lot and found a parking space as fast as possible. Once parked, I grabbed my book bag and ran to my homeroom leaving only seconds to spare as the bell rang signaling the beginning of class.

Once settled at my assigned desk I looked over to see Jess give a tentative smile and wave at me, signaling that she had some gossip that she just had to impart on me. Jess was an ok friend. She was very transparent when it came to gossip and I would never trust her with any information that I did not want spread around to the rest of Forks. Her mother was the same way so I had to assume that it was a learned behavior. Unfortunately for the rest of the town, like mother like daughter.

Mr. Mason, our homeroom teacher, did not waste any time. He clearly had better things to do than watch us, so he took roll call quickly and then let us get up so that we could socialize for the rest of the time.

My morning classes flew by as I was hoping they would, and before long I was headed out of fourth period to go to lunch. During my period of 'Edward Depression,' I had sat at the old table I had once shared with Edward and Alice. Today, however, was time to move back and sit with my other friends. Unfortunately, also during my depression they had formed two groups, the 'Poor Bella' group that sympathized with me, and the other group who was anti-Bella. Lauren fit into the latter and I fully expected her to make a comment to me about it. I was waiting eagerly to throw it back in her face. I had never before let people like her walk over me and it was time to step up and let her know that I would not be acting like a doormat from this moment forward.

I went to stand in the line waiting my turn to grab some god awful cafeteria food when Mike came up behind me. Mike, aka the Labrador, was so infatuated with me still that even in the midst my Edward Depression he had tried to get me to go out with him. He also stayed firmly in the Poor Bella group, which was one point in his favor at least. "Hey, Bella, how are you doing today?"

I turned to Mike and nodded towards him. "I'm great! So, did you finish the Government project for Mr. Sampson?"

"Oh, um, well, I'm still working on it. Jess and I went out last night so I kind of got behind, but no worries it will be done." He chuckled a little, "There's no way that I can afford not to pass Government. My parents would murder me if I didn't graduate this year."

Mike and Jess had been in an on-and-off-again relationship since last year. Apparently they were back on, much to my own relief. I was not in the mood to deal with him if he started asking me out again. "Yeah, that would be really awful to have to take another year of high school over not finishing one project. So I take it that you and Jess are back together?"

"Yes, we made up, and for now we are together. But you know how she is, so who knows how long it will be until we break up again. If we do, that will be the final time. Besides, with us going away to different a college there's no reason to stay together. I don't want to do the long distance thing."

I nodded, "Oh, so you know where you are going already?"

He smiled "Yes, my father wanted me to go to the same college he went to, which is in California."

"Wow, that's great. Well good luck with that, I'm sure you will have a great time."

He nodded to me and we grabbed our lunch and headed to the normal table. He seemed pretty surprised, although, given that this had been the longest conversation that I have had with any of my friends in months, he should not have been. On the other hand, Mike was not always the most observant person around. I sat in the seat that I use to occupy when I first moved to Forks. Funny how things had changed so drastically yet stayed the same.

Angela came rushing over and gave me a quick hug then went to get her lunch. Jess sat down beside me with Lauren, who was currently sneering at me, on her other side.

"Lauren," I commented casually, "you know if you continue to look at me that way your face may just stay frozen like that." She glared at me and rolled her eyes, then decided to ignore me for the rest of lunch, _how disappointing_.

Angela and Ben came back and sat down across from me and we proceeded to have a decent lunch together. The period flew by much faster than expected and then it was time to finish the rest of the day, which did not go by quite as fast as I had hoped.

After school was finished I went to work at Newton's until eight. They were pretty slow so I had a chance to finish my homework and then read a little out of my current book. Surprisingly, I decided to forgo my usual choice of the classics and was reading suspense thriller by JD Robb. Not my usual but it was pretty good.

After work I got home and found a FedEx package on the steps addressed to me. There was no return address and this fact had my complete and undivided attention. I went into the kitchen and slightly shook the box trying to guess what may be inside. The package was by no means heavy but had a pretty decent weight to it. I got a pair of scissors out of the miscellanies drawer and proceeded to open the mysterious package. Once open, the first thing I noticed was a piece of folded up paper that looked like expensive parchment and once opened revealed beautiful script that was written by none other than Alice Cullen.

_Bella,_

_My best friend and dearest sister, I wanted to apologize for my abrupt departure after your birthday. Know that I think about you daily and miss you like crazy. Edward did not want any of us to contact you or for me to watch for your future. However, I could not abide by his wishes and I still look for you as much as possible. Also I know that you are in need of closure from your past relationship with him. This package contains a GPS unit that is pre-programmed with coordinates so that you can easily find the meadow. This coming Saturday is going to be perfect weather for hiking. I know that you need to do this so that you can move on and I hope that it will help heal you, at least a little. I know one day we will meet again. You were always meant to be my sister even if not in the way you thought it would be. Emmett misses you like crazy and you will always be a little sister to him. He was very angry with Edward and did not want to leave you, however, to keep the peace and for your safety he went along with it. You will see him again as well. Do not worry, you will always be a little sister to him._

_Love Always, your best friend and sister,_

_Alice Whitlock-Cullen _

_P.S. On your hike, take the purse I sent in this package. Do not look through it until you leave the meadow. It contains things that you will need on your journey home._

I had silent tears running down my face by the time I finished reading her letter. I knew that they still cared about me, but it was refreshing to have proof in front of me. I greedily read and reread the letter. The only thing I did not understand was her cryptic message at the bottom. I would not really call a hike home a journey but just shrugged my shoulders and let it go. The other thing that caught my attention was how she had signed her last name. The only conclusion that I could come up with was that it was Jaspers last name, and she took it when they were married, along with the Cullen name since she was part of the Cullen family. Just one more question when I saw her next. I was so happy she had said that I would see her again and I could not wait. I just hoped that it was sooner than later, I missed her so much.

I set the letter down and looked inside the package. Sure enough, there was the GPS device. I took it out and looked it over. I decided that I would not turn it on and risk messing up the coordinates as I had no Idea how the crazy things worked. We did sell them at Newton's store though and I decided to ask Mike if he ever used one before. Maybe he could give me a quick run through. Under the GPS was the purse, or satchel rather, that Alice had instructed me not to look into until later. It was quite a bit larger than expected and filled with whatever she had deemed necessary. Knowing Alice, It could be a change of clothes and jewelry. I laughed to myself about it. One thing for sure is that the shopaholic pixy always had my best interests at heart and I would do as she requested take it along, and no peeking.

I put everything back in the box and set it aside while grabbing a quick bowl of cereal to eat. Once finished did the dishes and made my way upstairs with the package. I put it on my desk next to the computer and decided that it was time for a shower and bed.

I was asleep shortly after lying down and I had wonderful dreams about the mysterious man. It was always the same dream and ended before I could see him clearly The most I could make out in the short amount of time before the dream ended is that he smelled of apple, cinnamon, and sugar, and that he had very light brown hair with golden highlights.

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**All comments appreciated and welcome. **


	4. The Meadow

**All comments appreciated and welcome.**

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_**Chapter 4:**_

**The Meadow**

The remainder of the week flew by and before I even had a chance to think it was already Friday evening at Newton's Outfitters. I had been given the weekend off since it was the off season they did not expect to have much traffic through the store. As I rung up a customer who had just bought a GPS, I remembered that I needed to ask Mike if he could give me a quick run through on how they worked. After the last customer left the store I went to find him as Mr. Newton started locking up the store. I generally stayed for about fifteen minutes extra helping to get everything in order. I found Mike in the store room sorting boxes of merchandise and caught his attention.

"Hey Mike, I was wondering if you could help me out with something. It should only take a few minutes."

He turned and stood up, "Sure, what do you need help with?"

"Well, I was recently given one of those personal GPS devices that we sell and I was wondering if you have ever used one."

"Sure, my dad uses one when we go camping, just in case we were to get lost."

"Great! Would you be able to give me a quick run through on how to navigate the screens?"

"No problem, they're pretty easy to use." With that we went back out into the store and took one of the displays out of the case to show me how to use it properly. He was right, it was easy and I was comfortable using it within a matter of minutes.

After the store was cleaned up we said goodnight then I went home to get dinner started for Charlie. I was going to make it simple tonight and just go with spaghetti and meatballs. He was going to be later than usual since he was still on the missing person's case. The parents had reported the kid missing several months ago and he was searching for any leads. Unfortunately, nothing was turning up so the parents decided to hire a private investigator who was currently grilling Charlie for the information that he currently had.

Once I was home and had dinner started I went up to my room and grabbed the GPS and took it back down with me. I wanted to check it out since I would be leaving in the morning to go to the meadow. I wanted to spend the day there and enjoy the weather. Also, I did not know how easy it would be to let out all of my pent up emotions. It was finally time for me to say goodbye to my first love and start moving on from the relationship that we had once had.

I turned the GPS on and checked out all of the menus. True to her word, Alice had entered the coordinates so it would be a simple matter of following the digital compass on the screen. Even I could do that, despite being the queen of getting lost. The device made me much more comfortable knowing that I would not get lost somewhere out in the woods.

Charlie got home around eight and we had a quick dinner together. He told me a bit about his day and started asking about what I was planning on doing over the weekend. Apparently, Jake had been asking if I was coming to the res with Charlie on Sunday. I let him know that I would call Jake and let him know my plans. I told Charlie about my plans for finding the meadow and that I would not get lost as long as I had my handy, dandy GPS to guide me. He laughed about that but said that it would be fine with him if I went hiking. After everything was cleaned up we watched the game, well he watched the game and I just was content spending some time with him.

When I woke up, sure enough, the sun was shining outside and it looked like a gorgeous day for a Forks winter. It also seemed like it would be much warmer then what was normal. I got out of bed and grabbed a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt and sweatshirt, then went to put on my new hiking boots that I just got from Newton's the previous day. Hiking was not really my forte so I had not had a need to get any before now. But as it would be a long hike for me, I broke down and bought a decent pair instead of my usual sneakers.

I grabbed the GPS and the purse-bag thing that Alice sent, and went down to grab a bowl of cereal before heading out to the trail head. I was excited and would have been lying to claim otherwise. Once finished with my breakfast got all of my supplies together, grabbed my jacket and headed to the Beast to get going.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the trail head and once there I parked my truck on the side of the road in the designated parking area. I took a deep breath and thought to myself _this is it_. I turned on the GPS and let it find my location. I started to follow the compass which kept me in the right direction. It looked like it would be about a five mile hike.

Everything was going according to plan and I found myself making pretty good time considering I had to watch my every step so that I did not fall. I saw a lot of wildlife on my trip as well which made it that much more interesting. So far, I had glimpsed an elk, two deer and one fox that ran across my path. The forest was beautiful and even in winter held a very magical feel to it. It would have been so easy to get lost out here with everything blended together one tree looking like another, and so many ferns on around that you could not see any paths that had been made.

I was just making my way across a stream when I noticed that the forest seemed to be thinning out ahead of me. I remembered back when Edward first brought me here how magical it all felt and how stunning the meadow was with all of the wild flowers scattered around the area. There were so many colors mixed together – reds, yellows, purples and pinks – across the field and then the stream on the other side. However, nothing compared to the first glimpse I had of him in the sun, the way the sun glistened off of his skin. I do not think there is a more stunning creature anywhere than a vampire in the sun.

I made it, I was finally here. However, the feel of the place was nothing like it had been before. Now in the winter months the flowers were nowhere to be seen only leaving dead stalks behind that would blossom again come spring. I stepped out of the forest and into the meadow, just taking it in. Even with nothing blooming I could not mistake this place for any other. I walked into the center and sat down, just taking in the sun and relaxing. It was still a very nice day and a wonderful break from the normal weather that we have. I lay down and closed my eyes thinking over all of the time that we had spent here over the summer and all of the memories that we had made together.

Edward, for all of his years, was just a seventeen year old boy who did not know the first thing about love, or how relationships had to be about give and take. I was not innocent either concerning our relationship problems. It had been me that put him on a pedestal and let him dictate how he thought our relationship should work. The funny thing is that the girl he thought he loved so dearly did not even exist. She was nothing more than an ideal of what he wanted and how he expected the perfect girl to be. So I did my best to fit the mold of this imaginary woman so that we could co-exist in our out of balance relationship. I still loved him and he would always be a part of my heart. However, no longer would I allow that my heart belong to him. He was still a boy. I was ready to be a woman and find the man that complimented me and worked together to have a balanced relationship together. I fully wished him the best and hoped that he learned from his mistakes so that he could find the love of his life. But that life would not be spent with me.

I lay there for quite a while just thinking over everything that had happened during the past year. I had grown so much in that year and it was amazing to me that just twelve months of a person's life can significantly change someone.

The sun was now in the middle of the sky and I knew that I should start heading back to the Beast soon. I needed to get home and start on dinner for Charlie. I also wanted to get my homework done for the weekend so that I could go over to La push and hang out with Jacob, Quil and Embry again. I stood up and stretched, grabbed my things and started walking back toward the forest. I turned back for one last farewell when I saw a deer run out of the forest and headed toward the western side. When it was about three-fourths of the way there it just disappeared. The place that he disappeared into seemed to shimmer. It reminded me of how you see a mirage in the desert, and the air was shifting and then settled again. I started toward the area, on the way stooping to pick up a long branch and using it like a cane. I did not want to accidentally walk into the spot. As I approaching the area the air began to feel warmer and suddenly the stick started to disappear.

How very interesting. I wanted to see if the whole thing would go so I threw it in and it was completely gone, as if it vanished from the face of the earth. I was a very curious person by nature and although I should have learned by now that curiosity killed the cat I just could not keep myself from stepping through the anomaly. I figured that wherever it ended up I could just walk back through the way I came.

Oh, how very mistaken I was.

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**All comments welcome and appreciated.**


	5. Forks

**_All characters belong to SM. _**

**_Enjoy :D_**

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_**Chapter 5:**_

**Forks**

I looked around my current surroundings and, according to my brilliant powers of deduction, found myself still in the meadow. However, there were certain differences to this meadow compare to the one I just left that made the back of my neck prickle. _Me thinks I'm not in Kansas anymore Toto._

The most obvious difference was that it was summer in this version of the meadow and all the flowers were in full bloom. It also seemed to be morning rather than afternoon, according to where the sun is sitting in the sky. Another change was that a few of the trees surrounding the meadow were slightly smaller than what they were before I walked through the anomaly.

"The anomaly. Ok, no reason to freak out yet. I can just walk right back the way I came and I will get back to the other meadow, Edwards meadow."

_Oh perfect, now I'm talking to myself!_ I decided to just walk backwards through it, because surely it was right behind me, but each step I took just got me further away from the edge of the forest. _Crap_. I started to look around frantically, but there was nothing out of the ordinary in the air, no shimmering or any sign of the thing. _I'm stuck here, wherever here is._ _Stupid cat, really stupid freaking kitty!_

After my little freak out, I decided that the only thing left to do was to calm down and decide in a mature and intelligent fashion what to do next. So, I plopped down in the middle of the meadow to think. As I was sitting there contemplating my options, my attention turned to the bag Alice had sent me. Apparently, it was time to go through it. I needed answers and obviously Alice had a few of them.

I grabbed the satchel and carefully opened it to see what exactly Alice had sent in her care package. The first thing that I saw was cloth, no surprise there, I pulled it out and saw that it was a black skirt and then I noticed a white blouse that had a frilly front. That in itself was not strange but the way it was designed was. It looked like something out of the past. There was another skirt and blouse underneath, so I apparently would be fine for clothing for a couple of days.

The next things I found were two huge wads of cash. They were rolled together and each was larger than the size of my fist. I took the first wad and unrolled it. The currency was all thousand dollar bills and the date on them was 1891. I remembered reading somewhere in my US History class that at one point such large bills had been made but had never expected to see one. There had to have been at least two hundred bills there, so I would be fine for money, thank goodness for that. I rolled the wad back up and decided to check out the other one. This one was comprised of every denomination between one and one hundred dollar bills and apparently would be the one I was supposed to start with. I imagine it would be difficult break a thousand dollar bill unless I went to a bank, however, I would worry about that later. I took out a couple of the smaller bills and rolled the rest back up, depositing both back in my satchel.

Upon further inspection of the contents I found a few envelopes, each one written in Alice's neat script. The first envelope said "Arrival", _hmm how original_. The next one said "El Paso," and the final just said "You Will Know When."

Well if that was not just as cryptic as could be, "You Will Know When." I just rolled my eyes and grumbled to myself over that one. I carefully put the two other letters back into my bag and then grabbed the one that was currently most important to me.

_Dearest Bella, _

_This is going to be hard for you to adjust to, but I know you can do it_. _You are now in the past, around 1896 to be exact. I don't know how this happened as I couldn't see the cause. I only know that I saw you in Edward's meadow, and then I had a vision of you in Seattle in the late 1890s. I've never seen the past before so I can only assume that the reason is based on the idea that your future lies in the past, allowing me to see it. I don't know what your path is, only that I can help with some of the things that are set in your future._

_First, you need to go to El Paso. That is where your destiny awaits. Once there, you need to read my second letter. The easiest way to travel is by railroad and I would suggest you go to Tacoma first. Go to the train station and talk to the station master about renting or buying a private car for your trip. This will be much safer and more comfortable for you to travel. You should have more than sufficient cash on hand to make your journey as pleasant as possible. _

_Once you make your way to the closest decent sized city you will need to get some more clothing and a steamer trunk. Please don't spare any expense on the trunk and make sure that it has a secret compartment where you can store your money. Having your money stolen would not be good. _

_Second, just remember that anything you do in the past may have an adverse affect on the future, so try not to change anything that has already occurred in 2006. For instance, I know you are in a time before Edward was born. It would be tempting to go to Chicago and change his fate, but that would create consequences beyond your imaginings. _

_With all my love,_

_Alice Whitlock-Cullen_

_P.S. You are going to want to change into the clothing that I sent as soon as you can. It would not be a good thing to be seen by someone wearing what you are now. Bury the GPS unit in the woods. I packed a compass for you so that you can get back to forks. Follow the compass in a Southwesterly direction, you will find someone who can take you to town and then stay at the local boarding house. _

_The rest you will have discover on your own. I wish I could be of more help but once your there even if I can see you there is no way to help you. _

Well that shed some light on the situation. But why El Paso? She did not give a time frame, just that I needed to go there. I guess the sooner the better as far as I can tell. _Well first things first_.

I took the first skirt and blouse and changed into them, deciding to leave my jeans on under the skirt. That would be much easier for hiking than changing out of them. I took my sweatshirt off but left my T-shirt on, buttoning the blouse up and tucking it into the skirt. I took my hair down from my ponytail, and wrapped in up in a bun tying it securely with my hair tie.

I rummaged around in the satchel until I found the elusive compass that Alice had mentioned. Thankfully, it was a pretty strait forward no frills compass. Using the compass and turning until the needle pointed South west, I grabbed my supplies and started in the correct direction without wasting any more time. Being caught out in these woods after dark was not appealing in the least.

During my travels I found an animal burrow and threw the GPS in, then took the dirt and some rocks and filled in the hole. That was just going to have to do because I did not have anything to make a deeper hole. Lord only knows what someone from this time would think if they happened to find the GPS unit.

I had walked the better part of the afternoon, following the compass, and still had not found any signs of life aside from the deer and elk that had crossed my path. It was starting into late afternoon and I was getting worried. From my guess I had already traveled a good five miles. I decided that walking for another couple of hours before starting to look for shelter would be a good idea. The possibility of being stuck out here during the night frightened me. Hopefully, shelter would be available if need be.

_Left, right, left, right_ became my mantra as I made my way through the forest. This was currently the longest I had ever had to walk in my life. Luck was on my side today though, I had kept myself from tripping several times already, and hoped that it would continue to hold out, at least until finding someone.

I had just come over a hill and saw what looked like wagon wheel tracks through the forest. Well, it was not what I had been expecting but it was a relief, none the less. The tracks were pretty deep so I hoped that meant people traveled this way frequently. Left or right was the question. However, I was fairly certain, that right went toward Forks. So I started down the path, which was much easier to follow than weaving my way through the woods.

I had walked for several more hours heading in the direction toward Forks, when I heard something behind me. I turned, but was unable to see anything yet. I hoped that it was a wagon, my feet were killing me and it would be a relief to find someone. Among other things, the needed to find out the date was at the top of my list. Alice had been helpful but I wanted and needed to know and be one hundred percent certain that I had been somehow thrown into the past.

Five minutes later I could hear whoever it was much more clearly. It was definitely a horse drawn vehicle of some sort. I heard a horse snort and the soft _thump thump_ of hooves meeting the damp Washington ground. It was not long before the vehicle came into view. There were two horses and they were hooked up to what looked to be a buggy It was much more refined then what I had pictured in my mind. As they got closer I could see a man and a woman sitting in the front and there was a little girl or boy peeking out from behind them. They both looked to be in their early twenties and could only hope that they would be trustworthy. Thank god that Alice had helped me, I would have never made it this far without her.

The man was driving the horses and started pulling them up as they approached where I stood.

"Whoa, boys," he yelled out, bringing the horses to a halt.

The woman gave me a reassuring smile and a timid wave. I walked up to her side of the buggy feeling much more comfortable approaching her first.

She looked at me curiously before asking, "Are you alright Miss? You're a long way out from Forks without any type of transportation?"

So the question was how was I going to explain this to someone, _oh right, I wasn't_. I would be locked away in a loony bin somewhere. My only other option was to lie which was not something that I did well. However, when push comes to shove survival instincts surface and there was no other alternative but to lie. "I was thrown from my horse when he was spooked by a deer running out in front of him. I honestly have no idea where I'm at though"

She gasped and looked at who I guessed to be her husband. He turned toward me and tipped his hat before politely continuing for his wife, "Well ma'am, that is unfortunate. We are going in that direction to visit with my family, you are welcome to ride with us. My name is William Parks and this is my wife, Helena and our daughter, Elizabeth."

I looked over to William, "Thank you so much for your kind offer. My name is Isabella Swan, and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."

He tipped his hat to me again, "ma'am" he said politely, then handed the reins to his wife, who smiled at me as he jumped down from the buggy and came over to me and extended his hand. "Here Miss Swan let me just put that bag in the back for you." With that he took my satchel and put it in the back of the buggy and tied it with his family's belongings. He then came back and helped me up into the buggy. This was a very good thing because I had no idea how to get into such a contraption. I have had very little contact with horses and had even less contact with horse drawn vehicles. He went around and climbed back into the front with Helena.

He clucked to the horses and snapped the reins a little, the horses started to move off into a brisk trot. Well, a ride into town was much better than walking. Helena turned in her seat so that she was facing me and inquired, "So what were you doing way out here? There's nothing for miles between forks and our homestead."

"Well to be honest with you, I was already completely lost before being thrown from my horse. I was just lucky enough that my bag fell off as well."

She smiled a little and nodded in agreement, "Well I'm glad that we happened upon you, otherwise you may have been out here in the wilderness all night." She shivered a little at that thought and so did I for that matter.

"I am very grateful to you and your husband for giving me a ride back to town," I replied.

"It's no trouble at all. We are going the same way and no God fearing person would leave a young woman stranded by the road side." Helena seemed very nice and I could see us getting along well if the circumstances were different.

It was interesting that I could easily cut out my modern terms and slang and I was suddenly very glad that my favorite books were classics. "By chance do you know the date today? I'm afraid that I bumped my head and can't remember."

"Oh dear," she looked at me speculatively, "Today is June 12, 1895. Once we get into forks you should have Dr. Holden look you over to make sure you don't have any other injuries."

"Thank you, I will definitely take that into consideration, at the moment, though, I'm only at a loss of the date."

She gave me a slight scowl before nodding her head and continuing, "Did you have a place to stay once you get into Forks?"

"Well I was planning on staying at a boarding house or at a hotel if there is one."

"Forks is much too small for a hotel but Mrs. O'Conner runs the boarding house. I'm sure that we could take you there once we reach town. It will only be another hour or so before we arrive at Forks." I nodded to her in agreement and she turned back around and left me to my thoughts.

_Another hour? You have got to be kidding me. Wow, do I ever miss my Beast. And at the time, everyone picked on my truck for not going over 60. Well, if they were here now they would appreciate it._

I looked to my right at the little girl who was staring back at me with wide blue eyes. She looked to be around three or four years old and seemed to be extremely well mannered for a child of her age. Then again, this was a different time entirely and I was only just starting to grasp what that would mean for me. I was stuck here in a time before women even had a right to vote and most were subject to whatever their husbands wanted.

Alice had been pretty close to the correct date so I could only assume that she was right about the other portions in her letter. That being the case, I should now start thinking about making my way to Tacoma. The question was how to get there. Horses were obviously the main method of transportation, with trains being the second for long distances. So if there is a stage that passes through to Tacoma it would be the best choice. I would have to check and see if one was available any time soon. If not, the worst case scenario would be hiring someone to take me or possibly even buying a horse and buggy. I did not have much experience with horses, but I had always wanted to have one. It never happened with my mother, but she did take me trail riding a few times on one of those pay per the hour rides.

I noticed that the trees were thinning out and I could see what appeared to be buildings ahead. Just then, Helena turned toward me with a smile. "We are almost at Mrs. O'Conner's boarding house. That's her house there just ahead," she pointed to one of the white buildings in the distance.

I smiled widely back at her, extremely happy to be here. It was just now dusk and the knowledge that I would not be sleeping under the stars was very heartening.

We pulled up to a beautiful white house that was two stories and had a wrap-around porch with rocking chairs on it. There was a picket fence surrounding the front of the property and a walkway to the door that was lined with flowers. It was very charming and looked like something out of a book. Mrs. O'Conner appeared to live on the edge of town but it did not look as if it would be a far walk to get to any stores that Forks had.

William pulled the horses up in front of the little gate and I saw an matronly woman with graying hair walk out of the house. William stepped down from the buggy and went to greet the old woman. It seemed that they were quite familiar with each other. He then walked over to my side of the buggy and offered to help me down which I very readily accepted. Turning to Mrs. O'Conner, William introduced us with a gesture, "Margret, this is Miss Isabella Swan. We found her walking toward Forks. She was thrown from her horse and needs a place to stay for a few days."

Margret smiled and looked me over, "Well now, it's unfortunate about your fall. However, I would be glad to have you." She looked over to William, "Would you take up Miss Isabella's bag please."

"Sure," he replied and with that he went to get my bag and carried it in.

Margret went over to chat with Helena while we waited for her husband to reappear. I stayed off to the side, taking the older woman in. She appeared to be in her fifties with silver grey hair and a weathered face that spoke of working outside most of her life. She had grey eyes and a very calming effect on people.

Once William came back out we said our goodbyes to both him, and Helena. I offered him some money for his trouble, but he kindly refused to accept it. Then they started off to his parents' house, which Margret told me was on the other side of Forks. She took me inside and showed me to the room that would be mine during my stay and I thanked her accordingly. She left me to wash up before dinner and said that it would be ready in an hour.

I made my way to the dining room after cleaning the grime of the day's walk off of myself and offered to help, but she just shooed me away to wait until dinner was served. So I went into the sitting room and looked around at the pictures she had hanging on the wall. One was a very stunning painting that reminded me of a Monet.

She came in before long to let me know that dinner was ready, and while waiting for the other boarders she told me a little about them. Apparently, she had three other boarders at the moment, a man named Elmer and a newlywed couple that were going to be settling in Forks. The newlyweds were Frank and Abigail Mallory. I could only guess that they were long past relations to Lauren.

The food smelled divine after not eating for close to a day, and I was eagerly awaiting the others to arrive so that we could eat. Shortly after she told me about the other boarders Elmer came in, but apparently the newlyweds were not joining us this evening.

Margret turned to me and smiled, "Well now Elmer, I would like to introduce you to Miss Isabella Swan. She's going to be staying the night with us." She gave a warm smile and patted my hand.

Elmer seemed like a nice gentleman. He was tall, about six foot three, with curly black hair and green eyes, probably in his late twenties, and a very handsome man. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Swan. I do hope you will enjoy your stay with us. Mrs. O'Conner is a wonderful hostess and an excellent cook, if I may say so." He turned and winked at Margret with a smile on his handsome face, which brought out two matching dimples. He reminded me of an older Emmett, although not nearly as wide.

Margret had a slight blush and a huge smile, "Thank you kindly for the praise Elmer. You are such a flatterer."

Dinner was quite uneventful and I found that the time passed quite fast. I again had to tell my story about the horse running off, and they were both sympathetic of course. I am relieved that they so readily accepted my story at face value because I had no other ideas that would explain my reason for being here all alone and lost in the woods.

After dinner was finished I helped clear the table and talked to Margret for a while. I did not know how long I would need to stay for, but this was a very nice place, so even if it was for a week there would be no problem. After chatting for a while I made my way up to my room and lay down on the bed, being entirely too exhausted for anything else.

When I woke up the following morning to the sun shining right in my eyes I was actually surprised to discover I had fallen asleep fully dressed. Apparently, I passed out shortly after laying down. I got up, washed my face and hands, looked into the mirror to rearrange my hair, and made sure that my appearance was put together. This no indoor plumbing thing was going to take some time getting use to. As I finished up there was a noise in the hallway that sounded like someone moving to make their way downstairs. I realized that breakfast was probably ready so I hurried to follow them.

Once in the dining room, I saw that breakfast had been laid out on the table. I was apparently the last one to come in for breakfast, so I quickly made my way over to sit in the remaining chair by Margret. The men stood up and Elmer, who was to my right, pulled my chair out for me and pushed it in while I sat. Even with being in the past and seeing how very different the mannerisms were, the various ideas of what was considered polite were going to take me a while to become adjusted to.

Once seated Elmer turned to me with a grin, "Well, good morning Miss Swan. I hope that you had a pleasant rest."

I smiled back at him, "Yes, I'm afraid that after my day yesterday I went straight to bed after dinner."

He nodded in agreement and turned back to the Mallorys. He started talking to Frank about settling down in Forks, and what job opportunities there were available in the area. Breakfast was amazing. Margret really knew how to cook a great meal, even in its simplicity, and it was also a nice change from being the one who had to cook.

Breakfast was over quickly and I offered to help Margret clean up again, as did Abigail, and between the three of us we had the dining room cleared, dishes washed and the kitchen cleaned up in record time. After finishing, Margret wiped her hands on her apron then took it off, hanging it on a hook in the kitchen. Then she turned to us and suggested, "Let's go into the sitting room and relax for a moment." With that we all left the kitchen. As we sat down she inquired, "Abigail, what are you planning for today, if you don't mind me asking? I need to go to the general store and pick up some supplies. Would you like to come or do you need anything?"

Abigail was sitting next to me on the loveseat and thought for a second before responding, "Thank you for asking, but I don't need anything at this time. I don't have anything planned though, so I would love to accompany you."

"What about you Miss Swan?"

"Yes, actually, I do need to go to the store. I need to buy some more skirts and blouses, maybe a dress or two. Do they carry readymade clothing, or just material?"

Abigail turned and answered me, "They do have some clothing, but mostly just material and patterns. You may have to wait until you get to a larger city for anything but essentials."

I smiled thankfully at Abigail. "Its fine either way, I'll just have to wait until we get there to see what's available. Margret, would it also be alright if I stayed on a couple more days if necessary? I need to get my travel plans in order and find out where the closest rail station is."

Margret was thoughtful for a moment before answering, "That would be fine dear. Once you find out the schedule for the stage just let me know how many days, and then we will settle your payment before you leave. While we're in town just go over to the stage depot they will have the schedule there. They may also have information on the railroad as well." With that she went to see if Elmer could ready the buggy for us. She came back in a few minutes later. "Elmer is going to get the horses hooked up, then we can leave for the store. Why don't you both get ready to go?"

Abigail and I both went to our rooms to get what we needed. I grabbed the satchel and pulled out enough money to get the supplies that I required. Once finished I made my way back down to the sitting room to wait for Margret and Abigail. They did not take long and before I knew it, we were headed to the general store.

It only took about ten minutes to travel by buggy, and once we pulled up to the store Margret hitched the horse to the pole out front. The store was amazing. It was like stepping into an old western film. They had everything from a barrel of pickles to hygiene products. Really, it reminded me of an old-fashioned Walmart.

I was taking everything in when Abigail came over and directed me to the clothing. She was right, there were not many to choose from, but I did end up with two new skirts and three blouses, plus the required undergarments for the period. Abigail also insisted on two hats and some hairpins. She was also quite helpful in picking out the best hygiene products for the time as well.

I took all of my purchases to the register and left them waiting for the owner to come back in from helping Margret with her supplies. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes, very friendly with a polite smile, exactly like I would have pictured in my head. "Well, hello Miss Swan. Mrs. O'Conner was telling me that you were staying with her for a few days. How do you like our little town so far?"

I smiled at him, "Oh it's quite lovely Mr. Sanders. It reminds me of the town that I grew up in."

His smile grew even wider and you could feel how much pride he had for this little place. "Well now, I'm glad you are enjoying your stay. Is there anything else I can help you with Miss?"

"Yes, actually, I was wondering if you, by any chance, had any steamer trunks for sale?"

He nodded, "Sure do, Miss. We just received a shipment in actually. Follow me right this way and I will show them to you." He took me to the back of the store, apparently he was not joking about just getting them in. They were much larger then I had imagined and I decided that one would be sufficient for my needs. He pointed out the bigger of the two and explained, "Now, this one right here is the newest model. It's made out of the highest quality leather with four brass closures, one of which is a lock." As he opened the lid I was expecting just an empty box. However, it was comprised of several compartments. "This is one of the finest steamer trunks made to date and there are several compartments for your convenience as well as two hidden compartments were you can store valuables."

This was perfect. "I'll take it. This is exactly what I need. I just remembered I also need to purchase a watch."

He pulled out a few ladies watches that he had on hand and explained the features of each one. I chose an open faced ladies pocket watch that had a beautifully engraved ornate case and a dial that was painted with flowers and scrolls in red, black and green. It also had a scalloped gold bezel around the inside of the watch. I was not normally one for extravagant items but this was gorgeous and I could not pass it up.

He was grinning widely at me, "I'll just have my boys load the steamer onto the buggy for you." He walked over to the register and started to ring my selections up. "With your purchases, Miss, that will come to forty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents."

_That was it? You are kidding me!_ I knew that everything cost less, but I was still stunned. I pulled out my money and handed Mr. Sanders the correct amount before thanking him for his assistance, "Thank you very much, Mr. Sanders."

He handed my change back to me and started to wrap my purchases in brown paper tied up with string. "You're very welcome, Miss Swan. Mrs. O'Conner mentioned about making travel plans. The stage depot is just two doors down from me." He handed me the packages and I thanked him again.

I found Abigail waiting out front in the buggy. She let me know that Margret had to get a few supplies from the local seamstress and would still be a few minutes. She assured me that I had plenty of time and that I should go see about the schedule for the stage. I put my packages in the buggy and headed down to the stage depot which I found out was also the post office. There was a woman working behind a desk sorting mail when I walked in. She turned and greeted me with a polite smile, "Is there anything that I can help you with, Miss?"

I smiled politely back at her, "I'm in need of information about the stage. When is it going to be making its next trip to Tacoma and how much would the fare be?"

"It will be starting the next run out tomorrow at noon and generally takes about five days for you to arrive in Tacoma. The fare would be seven dollars. Is there anything else Miss?"

"I was hoping that you would have some information on the railway. I need to find out when the next train will be leaving to go south towards Los Angeles."

She shook her head, "Sorry, Miss, but we don't have that information. I would guess that they have a train leaving almost once a day, though. It is a heavily traveled route."

I smiled at her "Would it be alright if I booked my seat for tomorrows coach?"

"Of course, that will be seven dollars."

I handed her the money and she thanked me before adding, "Here's your ticket. Just be here fifteen minutes before the stage due to leave so that your luggage can be put on."

I nodded to her in agreement, "Thank you very much"

"You're welcome. Have a nice day, Miss," she concluded before turning back to sorting the mail. Having taken care of those arrangements, I walked out of the store and made my way back to Margret's buggy. Both women were finished in town and waiting for me to conclude my business. Once in the buggy, we started back to the boarding house. I let Margret know that I would only be staying one more night and that I had to be at the stage depot a quarter to noon. She said that would be fine and that she would ask Elmer if he could take me.

Margret started lunch as soon as we got home and had Elmer and Frank carried my new trunk upstairs for me. Once they set it down I got started on packing it up with my clothing. I cleaned out the satchel and made sure to grab a few more bills from my stash. I put the money away in one of the compartments. Once everything was stored away I decided to take a nap this time traveling thing had really worn me out. The rest of the day passed in a blur and before I had a chance to even think it over it was time for bed.

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_**AN: **__Thank you all for reading and for the comments they are much appreciated. I hope you are enjoying the story thus far. I have a lot planned for our little Bella. This story is as much about her finding herself and having her own adventure as it is about her love with Peter once it gets there. I should have the next chapter up by Friday, so stay tuned. ;)_


	6. Tacoma

**_All characters belong to SM._**

**_Enjoy_**

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_**Chapter 6:**_

**Tacoma**

I woke up earlier then I had the previous day feeling much more refreshed and ready to face the day. The only thing that I was really irritated about was the fact that my hair felt greasy from not being able to shower. I really had some issues with this part of being stuck in the past and I could not remember for the life of me when indoor plumbing became popular in the US. One thing was for sure, Mrs. O'Conner did not have a bathroom. She did, however, have an outhouse, and that seriously had to suck in the winter. I can only imagine having to stumble out there in the middle of the night and having to sit on a cold ass seat in winter. No, thank you!

I went over to the dresser to grab my watch and check the time. It was only six in the morning, so there was plenty of time to get ready for the day. First, I needed to clean up a bit. Then came the fun part which consisted of trying to figure out how all of these under things were suppose to go. _How the hell did these women live like this?_ I nearly screamed out in frustration. Who knew that women would require so much material under a stinking skirt?

It reminded me of a puzzle, but with no picture to work off of. An hour later I found myself put together for the most part. There was, however, one piece of mystery clothing and it was worthless as far as I was concerned. I decided to simply ignore and go without it.

I made my way downstairs to see if Margret needed help with anything. She was busy working on breakfast, flitting about the kitchen making sure that everything was cooking properly so I decided not to bother her. Breakfast was not until seven-thirty so that left me with time to kill. I decided to go explore a bit. There were a couple of buildings on the property that interested me and I wanted to find out what they were.

The first little building turned out to be a root cellar, and the next a regular little shed to store gardening supplies. The last building I checked turned out to be what looked like a rough outdoor bathroom. There was a wooden pipe that went through the wall, the end of it hanging over the tub. I went outside to inspect further and found a metal tub that was sitting on top of a brick fireplace with a hand pump to send water into the tub. The wooden pipe was connected to the metal tub and there was a plug that you removed to let the heated water go through the wooden pipe and into the indoor tub. I would definitely have to ask Margret if I could use it after we finished breakfast.

I checked the time and, sure enough, it was seven-thirty, so I went into the dining room to wait for the others to arrive. First in was Elmer followed by Frank and Abigail.

"Good morning," I greeted all of them as they came in.

They all greeted me in return and sat down at the table as Margret came in with the food that she had worked so diligently over. Once breakfast was over, Abigail and I quickly helped Margret clear the table and clean up, much like yesterday. Abigail had plans to go look over the property that Frank was buying, so she did not stick around to chat with us.

I turned to Margret once Abigail had gone, to ask about the bath house. "Margret, I noticed the bath house outside. Would it be possible for me to use it before I leave today?"

She was working on mending a sock and looked over to me, "Of course dear, that would be fine. The wood is right behind the house. You can use the stove to get a piece of kindling started and use that to start the fire." She looked thoughtful for a moment then added, "It takes a little while for the water to warm up so just keep an eye on it"

"Thank you. I'll get started on it right away." I had started to think about how wonderful a hot bath would feel when I remembered to ask about what I owed her. "Margret, I also need to know how much I owe you for board. I'll get it while I'm upstairs gathering my bathing supplies."

She smiled, "For just the two nights and since you were so helpful with cleaning up, it will be a dollar fifty."

I stood up to go upstairs, "I'll go get that for you, and I just want to thank you again for being so welcoming."

"You're quite welcome, dear. It was a pleasure having you"

The bath was amazing and I felt so much better, even my hair was clean. What a relief! If this past was to be my future, I could not wait for indoor plumbing. I will be ecstatic when that day comes.

After I had finished my bath it was ten o'clock and I still needed to make sure that everything was packed and ready to go. I double checked all of my belongings, realizing that if I forgot anything that was it, there would be no going back for it. Once everything was in order, I made my way downstairs to the sitting room where Margret was sweeping the floors. She had been cleaning all morning and I wanted to see if she could use any help. Of course, she would not let me lift a finger so I went out and sat waiting on the rocking chair, just relaxing and enjoying the nature around me.

It was time to leave before I knew it and I wished my fellow boarders well and told Margret if I was ever this way again that I would be sure to stop and say hello. She gave me a quick hug and wished me a safe journey. Elmer and I made it to the stage depot with plenty of time to spare so he helped the men load my trunk and fasten it securely to the stage. He then wished me a safe journey and left to go run some errands for Margret. During my wait I looked around for a little while to see if any of the buildings looked familiar from my time. It is possible that one or two of them survived and are still around, but I could not make anything out for sure.

It was finally time for the stage to leave and I was a jumbled mess of both nerves and excitement. Seriously though, I would have ever imagined myself traveling in a real coach across what was still considered wilderness. There was only one other passenger from forks that was traveling with me, but the coach was like the modern day grey hound and would stop certain towns to drop off and pick up passengers. My traveling companion was a girl, around fifteen, named Betsy. She had been visiting her grandmother here in Forks and was now traveling back home. She would only be on the stage for little while before reaching her destination.

The first day of traveling was not so bad. We stopped at predetermined rest areas for the horses to get water and for us to stretch our legs and use the facilities. We made one stop around lunch time, so the horses could get an hour's rest while we were fed and given the opportunity to walk around for a little while.

Betsy was a very nice girl and she told me all about her siblings and her family. She was hoping to move to Tacoma when she was older. She did not like the idea of living on a farm and wanted the life that a big city could offer her. It was funny to me because even over a hundred years in the past and teenagers were still the same.

Day two went much the same, but I could feel myself becoming much more cramped up from sitting so long. We gained another two passengers and these two were also headed to Tacoma. They were two men, brothers who were traveling together. Their names were Jonathan and Clayton and their sister was getting married in Tacoma and they wanted to be there for the wedding. Betsy got off at the end of the day, and both men were the quiet types so I planned on the rest of the journey being pretty bland.

Day three brought some excitement. One of the wheels on the coach cracked and had to be replaced. All of the men had to pitch in and it was lucky that the coach carried a spare. I swear, even in this time there are so many similarities to my own. I wonder if this is how Carlisle feels when he thinks about his past and what he has witnessed over the years. Thinking of the family now was bittersweet to me. The pain of losing them was still there but Alice kept me hopeful. She said that we would see each other again, I hoped that extended to the others as well.

Day four and five were pretty much a blur and nothing as exciting happened like a wheel needing changed. I was overly eager to be out of this thing and if I ever had to ride in another stage again it would be too damn soon for my liking. I can only imagine how the settlers felt when they were first coming west in their covered wagons. However, in some ways it may have been easier and others harder.

I was never so happy to see a city in my life. The stage pulled up to the depot and to my relief there was a really nice hotel right across the street. The sign over the entrance read "The Beaumont Hotel." It was a very classy structure made out of brick and painted white. There was a grand staircase out front with an iron railing down the center. To me it looked like it would be ideal, at least until I could make my way over to the train satiation and see about making arrangements to continue on my little trip.

During my trip on the stage, with so much available time to think, I had decided to take my time going to El Paso. Alice gave me no restrictions as to when I needed to arrive there so whatever awaited me was still going to happen, no matter how long I took. I was going to take Alice's advice on getting a private rail car. From the few conversations that I had with Jonathan and Clayton, rail cars were the most extravagant way to travel. However, they were a luxury that few could afford, being more or less mansions on wheels. For me, though, that would be perfect. I could sightsee and would not have to worry about accommodations during my stay in whatever town I decided to visit.

One of the other things that I decided to do was purchase a horse. It would be much easier having transportation readily available at our stops and also once we made our way to El Paso. Who knows how long I would be there for? I was a little worried about riding with my limited experience but Clayton told me of a horse ranch in Northern California which bred excellent horses with top notch training. I decided that I would stay there for a few weeks and learn how to ride.

In my previous life, as I was starting to call my time in forks, I had a problem with spending money. Now, however, it was proving to be an invaluable tool. When I saw Alice again she would be getting the biggest hug from me ever. I doubt that I would have been able to survive without her care package.

Other then the horse ranch and stopping to see Los Angeles for a few days I would decide on what else to do during my trip. If anything caught my fancy I was going to take full advantage of experiencing it. I was living in a time that was on the brink of the turn of the century and the opportunity to live in this past was far to amazing to turn down. So that was the plan and to say that I was excited would be a gross understatement. First things first, however, and I needed to get situated in the hotel so that I could explore the city.

Red, one of the stage hands came over to me and politely inquired, "Ma'am, do you have anyone picking you up?"

I looked over to him and shook my head. "No, I'm going to stay at the Beaumont, just across the street there. Would you please see that my trunk is brought over?"

He gave a slight nod, "Right away, ma'am. It would be my pleasure." Then he turned back to the stage and started to untie the luggage from the top and back of the coach. I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to make my way over to the hotel, and get a room. I was sincerely hoping that they had a bathtub. I could not wait to get cleaned up after our long journey.

The inside of the Beaumont Hotel, was very opulent with a large chandelier in the foyer and several sets of stairs made of white marble that led up into the main area where you checked in. There were plants all around the main area and a sitting area off to the right. There was a large arched doorway that led to a classy looking restaurant and looked to be rather busy at the moment.

I made my way over to the counter where a young woman stood in a uniform, waiting to check in guests and help with any needs that they may have. She had a smile plastered on her face, but it looked rather fake to me. She reminded me of the many girls that I had gone to school with over the years. She looked up from her paper work with her fake smile and a greeting that was clearly rehearsed, "Hello, and welcome to the Beaumont Hotel. My name is Mary. Will you be staying with us today?"

I nodded to her, "Yes, I would like to a room please."

"Well currently we only have one room available; it's one of our large suites with two bedrooms. Would that be alright with you, Miss?"

Well, that would be a bit over kill, but it was already dinner time and I did not feel like finding a different Hotel tonight. I gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes, that would be fine."

"How long will you be staying with us, Miss?"

I was not sure, but I figured that if need be that my stay could be extended. "Four days should be sufficient."

She wrote some information in her ledger and then looked back to me and instructed, "The room will be twelve dollars for four days, Miss."

I gave her a little nod and pulled out my money. She counted it quickly and deposited it into an old fashioned register. Then took the ledger and turned it towards me with the pen. "If you would just sign the gust log for me, Miss, I'll have Henry show you to your room. Do you have any luggage?"

"Yes, I just arrived on the stage and they are to be bringing it over momentarily." Not more than a minute later Red came into the Hotel toting my trunk behind him. The clerk looked up and pointed to the side while telling him, "You can just set it right over there."

Red looked over to us and did as she requested then before turning to leave, tipping his hat and went back out the doors and passing a young man that was in uniform on his way in.

The uniformed man, who I assumed to be Henry, came over to where I was still speaking with the clerk and gave us a little smile and nod. This time, however, when the clerk smiled back at him, it looked genuine. I grinned inwardly. Apparently, she had a bit of a crush on this Henry fellow. "Henry, would you please take Miss Swan to her room? She will be staying in the Grace Suite." She then turned back to me. "Miss Swan, I hope you'll find your stay here at the Beaumont to your satisfaction. If there is anything you need, just let me know and I will be sure to assist you."

"Thank you very much. I'll keep that in mind," I replied before turning to the bell boy, who now had my trunk on a wheeled cart. He began to wheel my luggage away while speaking to me, "Your room is right this way, Miss Swan."

We took an elevator to the top floor and then made our way to the last door on the right. He opened the door for me and then stepped back to allow my entrance. The room was stunning. It was decorated in blue and gold with silver accents. The floor was a blue carpet with silver and gold floral patterns throughout. The curtains were a thick gold material that draped on either side of the window. The main room was a sitting room with very comfortable looking furniture strewn about, and had a small chandelier hanging from the middle of the room and with a fireplace on the furthest wall.

Henry cleared his throat to make his presence known and asked politely, "Which room would you like me to put your trunk in, Miss?"

"Either one would be just fine, thank you."

He turned and made his way over to the first room, it was large with a gorgeous four poster bed in the center and a beautiful matching mahogany armoire, vanity and mirror. He set the trunk at the foot of the bed for me and then wheeled the cart back out as I followed him to the door. I got a dollar out for a tip and then handed it to him, "Thank you for your services, they are greatly appreciated."

He smiled and then held out the key for me, "Here you go, Miss, and if you should need anything else I would be more than happy to assist. Thank you again, Miss. Have a nice evening."

"You as well," I returned and with that he turned and headed back down the hallway.

First thing on my agenda was to explore my new room. It was very nice and for twelve dollars I would not complain one bit. I peeked into the other room, which was smaller than the one I now occupied but was very similar in design and had the same furniture. I went back to the sitting room and looked around a bit. I noticed a door on the other side of the room and went to investigate. Much to my surprise, it was a large bathroom. I about peed myself in excitement. The toilet was very unusual to me with the tank mounted on the wall above and a cord which was pulled in order to flush. On the other side of the room was a rather large claw footed bath tub and it looked like running water, hopefully hot water as well. Without a doubt, this was going to be the first thing that I tried out. Maybe I would be extending my trip after all, just for the convenience of a bathroom. _Who would have thought?_ I laughed to myself.

I woke up the next morning and pulled myself out of bed, I had decided to sleep in, needing to catch up on sleep from the stage. It was very difficult to sleep on that stupid thing. After dressing I made my way down to the front desk. I had decided it was time to expand my wardrobe. This was a large city and I wanted to take advantage of the options it afforded. I also needed to see if there was a laundry service available for hotel guests.

There was a different clerk at the desk today. I made my way over as she looked up at me. When I reached her I greeted her and then explained, "I'm Isabella Swan. I'm currently staying in the Grace Suite."

"Oh, hello Miss Swan, my name is Sarah. How may I help you today?" She asked as she smiled at me.

"Is there by any chance a laundry service for guests?"

"Yes, Miss. If you need clothing laundered I can send a maid up to your room, and she will take care of it for you." Ok, this was really great news to hear.

"Yes, please send her if you would."

"What time would you like the maid at your room?"

I had wanted to shop so the later the better in my opinion. "Would four o'clock be too late?"

Sarah looked down to see if there were any other guests scheduled for that time before responding, "No, that would be fine, Miss. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually, there is. I need to purchase some new clothing. If you could just point me in the direction of some clothing stores that would be wonderful."

She seemed to be thinking for a moment and then wrote down a few addresses for me. "These two stores here are good for everyday wear, this one for undergarments, and this one if you require any evening gowns." Then she handed me the paper before offering, "I can have Henry hail you a cab if you would like."

"Yes, please, that would be wonderful."

She pushed a little black button to the side of the register and a few minutes later Henry came out from somewhere in the back of the hotel. He came over and greeted us with a smile, then turned to Sarah for his orders. "Henry, Miss Swan needs a cab could you please hail one for her."

He nodded and then went out the front doors. "It shouldn't take very long. You can just wait over there and he will come inform you when the cab arrives."

I nodded and did as she suggested, making my way over to the sitting area. It was not long until Henry came to retrieve me and led the way out front to the waiting cab. He helped me get in and then the driver asked me where I needed to go. I rattled off the first address on the list and he clucked to his horse, who promptly responded, and we made our way in the heavy morning traffic.

Once we arrived at the store, the cabbie helped me down and let me know that he would wait for me if I wished. I thanked him and accepted his offer. Apparently, in this day and age cabbies stayed with one customer until they were completely finished with whatever business they had to attend. I had to admit, it made life much easier than trying to get another cab once you are finished.

I went into the shop and one of the girls helped me pick out several dresses and a few hats. They told me that they would have my purchases delivered to the hotel for me so I went to the second store on the list. The second store was more of a success then than the first and I decided before long that I had found more than enough clothing for the time being. I wished I could just wear my jeans and t-shirt and was more than fed up with what was considered fashion at this time. After the those two I finally made my way to the store for my necessary undergarments, though I really had no idea what was needed other then the obvious, underwear. So I just had the shop girl help me and had her pick out what was needed.

I finished up my shopping trip and decided to go back to the hotel for lunch. As I was only a few blocks away I decided to walk. I also wanted to see what other types of stores were in the area and if there were any restaurants around. I paid the cab driver and started back toward the hotel. I was walking down the street with my small clutch wrapped around my wrist minding my own business when I was knocked to the side and someone grabbed my purse.

_You've got to be kidding me!_

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**_Thank you all for your wonderful comments!_**


	7. Brother

**All Characters except Luke belong to SM.**

**Enjoy :)  
**

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_**Chapter 7:**_

**Brother**

I swear that God or whoever was in charge of this sort of thing was currently laughing their asses off at me right now. I just could not seem to escape bad luck, not even one hundred-thirty years in the past.

I refused to give in though. There was no way in hell I was going to play damsel in distress! So I did the only thing that I could at that moment and took off running after the SOB. The person who took my purse was going to meet a side of Bella Swan that no one has met before. I ran faster than I ever thought possible. My fury was boiling under the surface and kept me so focused on my goal that tripping was not an option. I was catching up to perpetrator who appeared to be a young boy. _Well, damn._

He rounded a corner and then slammed head on into a police officer. Ok, so my luck was not too awful at the moment. The boy stumbled back and fell on his ass while the officer, who was taken by surprise, remained standing. He was a solidly built man so he easily rebalanced himself and very quickly snatched up the little pickpocket.

The thief was a boy of around fourteen years old, dirty and wearing very shabby clothing, and very thin. Well_, damn, there goes my anger_. I could not help but feel for him. He looked very much in need of help. I could only wonder where his parents were at.

The officer had a deep frown on his face and glowered at the boy before demanding, "What is the meaning of this boy?" Then he saw me and noticed the purse that was still clutched in the boys hand. "So it appears that we have a thief on our hands. Well we'll just have to take you to the jail house then," He smirked.

The officer turned to me with a questioning look and asked, "Is this your purse, Miss?"

I looked over to the boy who was firmly held by the officer. I could not help but let my heart go out to him. He had a pleading look on his face, obviously not wanting to be thrown in jail. "Yes it is, but I don't want to press charges."

The officer was obviously not expecting that. "Miss, he tried to steal your belongings and you don't want to press charges at all?" he asked with an incredulous tone, like I had not comprehended what that meant.

"Yes, I am quite sure. I just want my belongings back," I sated firmly.

The officer just shook his head in disbelief and then released the boy who was now staring at me with wide eyed curiosity.

The officer turned to address him, "This is your lucky day, but if I ever catch you stealing again, you will be going straight to jail and then to a workhouse." The boy nodded in understanding to the officer, and took off around the corner again.

The officer turned back to me and tipped his hat, "Have a good day, Miss." Then turned to go back down the street.

I started back to the street that I was originally on. There had been a few restaurants and I decided not to wait to get to the hotel before eating. I turned back down the alley and was almost to the other end when the boy walked out of one of the doorways. He just stared at me for a while so I decided to break the ice first. "So are you here to try and steal my purse again?"

He just shook his head and looked slightly repentant. "No, Miss. I'm sorry, but why did you help me back there?"

I shrugged while answering him, "Well, I just couldn't see throwing you in jail doing anyone any good. That's no place for a boy your age, even if your crime warranted it."

"Thank you," he said, looking down to his feet.

He seemed nice enough for a purse snatcher. He was obviously just pushed over the edge and trying to survive. I wanted to help him, so I very quickly came up with a plan. I would offer him a job as my travel companion. I did not really need one, but it would be the perfect excuse to get help him without him thinking it was out of pity. The plus side would be I could use him to run errands for me and it would be nice to have someone to talk to.

I looked him over deciding how he would react if I extended a job opportunity to him. I just threw it out there for him to decide. "I have a job for you if you want to earn some money."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding his head in acceptance.

"Ok then, first we are going to get something to eat, and while there, you are going to tell me a bit about yourself. We can go over details of my offer during lunch. Is that acceptable?" I questioned.

"Yes, Miss," he responded enthusiastically.

I turned onto the street with him following closely behind. I saw a nice little restaurant just ahead with a patio out front. It would be perfect, because as nice as this boy was, I doubted that he had bathed in a while.

The waiter showed us to our seats while other customers blatantly stared at us. I just ignored them. It was not as if I would ever see them again. They could stare all they like. The boy looked around, taking in the other customers and then focused his attention on me.

"So let's start with your name, and then I would like to know a little about you," I told him.

He looked at me intently before answering, "My name's Lucas, but I like Luke better. My family moved here from New York when I was ten. My mother died on the trip out and my father never recovered. Once here, he drown himself in drink and then was shot in a bar fight. I've been on my own ever since."

My heart went out to Luke, he had lost so much. "How old are you now, Luke?" I asked him.

"Fourteen, going on fifteen, Miss."

The waiter came back to take our orders and I made sure to tell Luke to order whatever he wanted.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Luke. My name is Isabella Swan, but I prefer Bella." I extended my hand to him to shake. He took it with a small smile and shook my hand back.

"So here's my offer, you can take it or not, it's up to you." I made sure that had his full attention before continuing, "I'm in need of a travel companion, someone who is street wise, and can run errands for me and keep me company while traveling." I smiled gently at him, "I think you would do very nicely for what I need."

He nodded for me to continue

"You will be paid of course. I'll also provide clothing, room and meals." I thought for a moment before asking, "How much of an education have you received?"

He thought for a moment, "I can read and write a little, but I don't know mathematics or anything more than that."

"So we will work on your education as well," I stated.

He looked at me warily before pointing out, "Miss, Bella I mean, um, it's not really proper for a woman to have a male companion."

I thought about that for a moment. I did not really care about what people thought but it was true that it would be to my advantage to avoid any unwanted attention. I was sitting there looking at Luke. He was about six inches shorter than me. His hair color was brown, but lighter than mine with more red streaks, he also had brown eyes. The only major difference between our features was that his skin tone it was a little darker than mine, but all in all we could easily pass for siblings."Your right, of course," I told him. "There's only one solution. You'll just have to pretend to be my brother." I looked up from the table and smiled at him, "That is, of course, if you want to."

The waiter came back out with our orders. I had decided to have chicken salad with soup and bread. Luke, on the other hand, got a steak with baked potato and some vegetables. I was not surprised when he dug in as if this was his first meal in days. He had already eaten half of his meal by the time I finished my soup. I dropped our conversation for the moment. He was too busy eating his meal for talking anyway. I laughed to myself as I watched him scarf down the potato and start in on the vegetables.

After he finished his meal he looked up with a smile, "That's the best I've eaten in a while." He grinned with great satisfaction.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. So do you want to be my brother?" I asked him with a smile.

"Yes," he said and readily agreed to my terms.

I paid for our meals and left a tip on the table for the waiter then looked at my watch to see the time. It was still early, only one o'clock in the afternoon so there was plenty of time to take him shopping. I had noticed a men's clothing shop down the street from the hotel so we made our way there first.

I had the shop attendants help Luke while I waited at the front of the store. I told them that money was not an issue and he was to have at least ten outfits put together. Once they were finished, I paid the clerk and had them deliver the clothing to the hotel for me. I did have them package one up immediately so that Luke could change once he bathed back at our hotel. I checked the time again and it was nearly four o'clock, so we rushed back to the hotel so that I could give the maid my clothing.

I did not want any questions asked about Luke's appearance so I had him go up the fire escape in the alley behind the hotel. Once upstairs I sent him to get cleaned up while I waited for the maid to arrive. After the maid left Luke came out of the bathroom, looking much happier. In fact he was grinning from ear to ear.

"I haven't felt that clean in a really long time," he said happily as he walked over to one of the chairs across from me and sat down.

I smiled at him. "I'm glad you feel better," I told him before pointing over to the spare bedroom. "That is your room while we are here. We'll be leaving for Los Angeles as soon as arrangements can be made, so if you need anything before we leave let me know. Now I just want to lay down a few rules. First, my room is off limits unless told otherwise. Second, if you would like to go somewhere just let me know so that I don't worry about you. Other than that, we will just make them up as we go. Does that sound all right to you?"

He thought for a moment. "Yes, that's more than fair, but don't worry about me, I can take care of myself," he said with a grin.

"I'm sure you can, but that doesn't mean I won't worry. I know we have just met, but I already am quite fond of you." I winked at him, "Plus you are my brother."

He just laughed at my logic and nodded to me before asking, "Bella, would it be alright if I went to rest for a while? I haven't slept on a bed in a long time."

"Oh, of course you may. I have some errands to run anyway. I'll be back in time for dinner. We are going down to the restaurant so make sure that you're ready."

He grinned and went toward his bed room, softly shutting the door behind himself.

After getting back from my errands I went into my room to clean up and get ready for dinner. I decided to wear one of the new dresses that I bought today. It was a very pretty plum color with pearl buttons. It was made of a lighter material than my skirt making it much more comfortable in the summer weather. This leads me to another thing that I had been missing: central air.

I purchased several things for Luke while out, the first being a watch. I could hardly expect him to be on time without one. I also bought him a trunk for his clothes and a pair of decent shoes. I hoped that I got the right size because it was a complete guess on my part. I really wish that sneakers were around now, they would be so much more comfortable than the boots that I have been wearing and the ladies shoes did not look any better to me.

After dressing I knocked on Luke's door and let him know to get ready for dinner. He was out within five minutes and we made our way down the stairs. The waiter sat us at one of the tables and provided the menus.

I decided to start the conversation, "Luke, before we leave town, is there anyone that is going to miss you?"

He looked up from the menu and assured me, "No, I don't have anyone else, there was a group of boys I ran with, but they won't miss me."

_How sad_, I thought to myself "Well, I'm glad you are going to be traveling with me. It's really lonely not having anyone to talk to."

He nodded in understanding. "So, what about you, Bella? Do you have any family?" he asked.

"No, it's just me by myself." I thought about Charlie and what he must be going through right now with my disappearance. I had the benefit of knowing where he was and missed him like crazy. I cannot even imagine how he is feeling, not knowing.

"So where did you get all the money. I know it's rude to ask but your obviously well off." At this, I tried to stifle my laughter, but was not very successful.

I just choked out "inheritance" between giggles. I could not very well tell him I was from the future and that my psychic best friend gave it to me. "You are very brazen to ask, though," I jokingly scolded him.

He just shrugged and smiled at me. "My mother tried to instill manners, but I'm afraid they are a bit rusty."

"That's ok," I assured him. "I really don't mind, it just took me by surprise."

The waiter came back and took our orders. Luke and I spent the meal getting to know each other better. He was really a sweet kid who was just was put in a bad situation. I was sure that we would get along great, and I would not have any problems thinking of him as a brother. After dinner, we went back up to the room and we said goodnight to each other and went our separate ways. Tomorrow would be another adventure, I supposed.

I woke up at nine and got ready for the day. Luke and I had planned to the train station to see about making travel arrangements. He was in a very good mood this morning and I could hear him whistling in his bedroom while he got ready to leave. I laughed quietly. I was so happy that I could help him and that he was accepting my aid.

"Luke, are you ready yet?" I asked him in a slightly whiney voice. I wanted to go already. I think men in this era take longer to get ready than women.

The door opened and he stepped out. "Wow, Luke, look at you!" I exclaimed. He was dressed to impress, wearing a full suit, complete with hat.

He blushed and looked down to the ground with a shy smile. I took out the pocket watch that I got for him yesterday and handed it to him. "Here, this should finish your look, I think. Now there's no excuse for you to be late anywhere," I said with a grin.

He shook his head and I swear I saw a tear. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me," he stated.

I hugged him. "I have a feeling that you really are going to become a brother to me, so don't worry about it," I told him in a gentle voice.

He just looked up to me like I was a little crazy. "Thank you, Bella. You're a wonderful sister," he said with a grin.

We arrived at the train station shortly after ten and went to find out who to talk to about buying a private car. We were directed to Mr. Callaway, who was the station manager. Mr. Callaway was a short pudgy man with balding hair who looked to be in his forties and, in all honestly, he seemed to be a grouchy man. _I wonder if he is married_. I hoped not for the sake of the woman.

"Mr. Callaway, I'm Isabella Swan and I've come to inquire about purchasing a private rail car," I told the man in a no nonsense way.

He looked at me like I was crazy before responding in a somewhat patronizing tone, "Miss Swan, private cars are hard to come by. There is a year long waiting list for any of the companies that make them. Surly you don't expect one right now."

"Mr. Callaway, I do understand that, but surly there is one available for sale somewhere. I don't need one custom made. One that is already built should suit my needs quite well."

He was thoughtful for a moment, "Well, there may be one or two available for purchase. I'll have to speak to their current owners and find out."

"If you don't have any for sale I would be interested in renting one, if that's a possibility."

He nodded his head. "I will let you know when I have any information for you. Where may I contact you, Miss Swan?"

"I'm staying at The Beaumont. If you find out anything please send word there. If you do find one available for purchase, I will give you a commission for your trouble." He immediately perked up at the mention of money. "Thank you for your time Mr. Callaway."

He gave me a curt nod, "You're welcome, Miss Swan. I will send word as soon as I find a car for you." Apparently, the mention of money really lit a fire under the man's ass. He seemed almost over eager now. I had faith that he would be sending me a message within a day or so. This was turning out to be a very good day.

Luke and I went back to the hotel. We started to work on Luke's reading and writing skills and then hung out for the rest of the day, waiting for any word from Mr. Callaway. We spent time getting to know each other better and it was a very relaxing, if almost a little boring. I really missed Emmett and his video games. _What I would not give for a TV and X-Box?_

The following day around noon there was a knock at the door. I went to go get it and Luke came out of his room to see what was going on. I opened the door to find a man standing there.

"Hello, Miss Swan?" he asked.

I nodded to him. "I was sent by Mr. Callaway. He's found a few private cars for sale that he wants you to look at. I'm to take you to the station so that he can show you," he explained.

I smiled at the man and opened the door wider for him. "Please come in. We'll just be moment."

I let Luke know where we were going and ten minutes later we were on our way to the train station. Mr. Callaway greeted us once we arrived and took us to the storage yard where he had a few cars waiting.

One of the cars was a dark blue with gold trim, another was yellow with red trim and the last was another blue one that had red trim. They were all fifty-five feet in length and seemed in good condition. Each was well furnished, all a little differently from each other, but all done in a very grandiose manner. Two of them even had fireplaces in the car. However, only one of them had two bedrooms so that was the one we were going to get.

It was the dark blue car with the gold trim. The inside had a chandelier hanging in the sitting room. The carpet was similar to the carpet in our hotel room, blue with gold and silver, and the curtains over the windows were silver with gold stripes and gold ropes to tie them back. The sitting room was large and had two couches and a small four person dining room table. There was a gorgeous gold framed mirror on the wall, and other pieces of art work scattered throughout the room. The bedrooms were just as beautifully decorated. Both had a queen sized bed that took up the main space, with a bedside table and two dressers on either side of the bed. There would be enough space for our trunks at the end of the bed. The bedrooms also had artwork on the walls. At the end of the train there was a small bathroom, it had a toilet and sink but no shower of course. We would have to use public baths when we stopped along the way.

I told Mr. Callaway that I would like to purchase the car and asked him contact the owner so that we could meet. We followed Mr. Callaway back to his office and he sent a messenger to the owners' residents, to notify him. Luke was shocked that I was purchasing a private car, he had never met anyone who had one before, and he was excited to be traveling in such extravagance.

The owner walked into the office and Mr. Callaway introduced us. "Mr. Porter, this is Miss. Swan. She's the young woman I told you about that would like to purchase your car." Mr. Porter smiled at me, and shook my hand, "Miss. Swan it's a pleasure to meet you." Then he turned to Mr. Callaway, "Mr. Callaway would you mind if we borrowed your office for just a few minutes."

He did not look too pleased with that but gave a small nod and left the office.

Once he was gone Mr. Porter turned to me, "I'm asking $35,000 for the car. I just got my new one in and that's the only reason I'm selling this one."

"That sounds fair enough to me," I told him. "Did you bring the proof of ownership with you?"

He nodded his head. I got my purse out and counted the money out for him. He had a surprised look on his face but readily accepted the money.

He took out the proof of ownership and signed the car over to me, then I signed as the new owner. "Thank you very much Mr. Porter."

We said a few pleasantries and he left the office and Mr. Calloway came back in.

"Mr. Callaway I need to charter the car to El Paso. Would you please get it ready and set up the trip for me? I would greatly appreciate it."

"Yes, that will not be a problem at all. I'll have the cleaning crew go over your car and prepare it for travel. What day would you like to leave?" he asked.

"Tomorrow, if that would be possible. I really need to get on my way."

"Yes, the train will be leaving the station tomorrow at three o'clock pm. Just come to the passenger platform. Your car will be at the end of the train before the caboose."

I handed him an envelope I had prepared ahead of time. "This is the commission for your help. I do appreciate it Mr. Callaway." I could see his eyes light up with glee.

He smiled at me for once and assured me, "It was my pleasure, Miss Swan, and I will see you tomorrow."

Luke and I left the Train station and went back to the hotel. The rest of the day was spent packing and making sure that everything was in order. The only thing that I could think of before bed that night was that we would finally be on our way.

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**AN: **_I just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate you taking your time to comment on the story. _

_Thank You all!_


	8. Horses

**All characters belong to SM **

**AN: **_Sorry this chapter was later than I expected it to be, so here we are with Bella's first intro to horses, should be interesting...lol_

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_**Chapter 8:**_

**Horses**

I woke up the next morning at seven a.m. but stayed in bed for the next hour just relaxing and thinking about the next part of my journey. I was also thinking about what could be waiting for me in El Paso. I was not a big history buff but I was pretty certain that it was not a very large city yet. I was confused but I knew that Alice would never steer me in the wrong direction. I also thought about Charlie, Renee and Phil, and how they were coping with my disappearance, I have already been here going on two weeks now and it did not look like I would be back any time soon, if ever. On the other hand, there was no way of knowing if time passed here the same way it passed in the future. Time travel is controversial at best, and most people do not even believe it is possible.

I finally pulled myself out of that train of thought. It would do no good going over and over the endless possibilities. I quickly went through all of the things that I had to get done before we left the city today. I had already packed everything but the dress that I planned on wearing today, and of course my bathroom supplies. I fully intended to get one last decent bath before leaving.

Once finished with my bath and getting ready for the day to come, I went back to my room, knocking on Luke's door on my way. "Luke, come on its time to get ready so we can go down to breakfast." I could hear him moving around in the bed before I continued, "I would get a bath if I were you. Once we start traveling it may be a few days before we can bathe again." I heard get out of bed.

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up" He grumbled out through the door.

I went into my room shaking my head and laughing to myself. That was the same exact reaction I had giving to my mother over the years, it is funny how the tables have turned. I finally heard him going to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

I decided that I needed to get the money out and count it, to find out exactly how much was left. Once finished I rolled it back up after taking out a couple hundred for traveling with, putting the rest back in the hidden compartment in my steamer trunk. I took a piece of paper and wrote down the total so that I could keep track of it as it was being used. Currently, I had $276,599.50, which was a relief and I was confident that it would last for several years if I kept spending to a minimum. I folded the paper up and placed it in my purse, then made my way out to the sitting room to wait for Luke to finish up.

I did not have to wait long before he made his way from his bed room and came over to sit on the couch. "Do you have all of your clothing packed?" I asked him.

"Yes," he stated, looking very tired.

"Did you not sleep very well last night?" I asked him.

"No, I was too excited to sleep," he said with a small smile starting to form.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to sleep on the train later," I chuckled. "Come on lets go get some breakfast." I stood up and moved to the door, he stood and silently followed behind.

Once we were in the lobby, I went to the clerk and arranged for us and our trunks to be taken to the station later.

We had just finished breakfast when Luke turned looking up from his plate. "So what are we doing for the rest of the day?"

I looked at my watch checking the time "Well its only ten a.m. so there's plenty of time before we need to be at the station. Did you have anything in mind or did you need to get anything before we leave?" I asked.

He looked contemplative for a moment before answering. "No, I can't think of anything, but I was hoping that we could go to the cemetery. I want to say goodbye to my father."

"Of course Luke, that's fine with me. Do you want me to come with you or would you like to go on your own?"

"I would like to go myself if it would be alright. I also want to go pick up a few items that my father left me. They're at the place I was living before." He told me with a slight frown marring his youthful face.

"That's fine Luke, I understand. Just be sure to meet me back here at one o'clock. I figured we would eat lunch and then go to the station after."

He nodded his head, "I will be back on time." He grinned and then excused himself getting up from the table to make his way to the lobby and out the front of the hotel.

I sat there for a few more minutes deciding what to do with myself for the rest of the morning.

I woke up on the couch to the sound of the door to our room shutting, and saw that it was Luke. I had fallen asleep reading a book that I found at a book store by the hotel. While there, I picked up a number of books and workbooks for Luke so that we could continue with his education while we traveled. I was assured by the shop keeper that these were the best books available.

Luke made his way over to one of the chairs and plopped down. I noticed that he was holding a few items, and assumed these were what he needed to pick up. One was an odd looking cup with a handle, and a string attached to the cup with a ball on the end. He noticed me staring at it in confusion.

He let out a laugh. "Don't tell me that you've never played with a cup and ball before," he said in astonishment.

_A what and what?_ I just shook my head, "No, never"

He dropped the other items at his feet and took the cup and ball. "It's a game. You swing the ball like this," he demonstrated. "Then you try to get the ball to go into the cup." He proficiently swung the ball up and around getting the ball to fall into the cup. "See just like that, it's easy," he stated. "Now you try," he handed me the cup and ball.

I took it from him and looked over the game warily. This was going to be interesting. It seemed simple enough, and I figured I could manage. On the other hand as a notorious klutz I should have known better.

My first attempt ended with the ball swinging around and hitting me in the nose. That stupid little wooden ball hurt like hell. Luke burst out laughing, and stated that he had never seen anyone do that before. The second time was better. I did not hit myself, I hit him. As far as I was concerned it was payback for him laughing. For my third and final try I managed to break the lamp by the table. That was when Luke took his toy back and deemed it unsafe for anyone around me. He could not quit laughing and said that it was a deadly weapon in my hands. I would have to agree with him at that point and decided it was not something I should attempt again.

We went down for lunch after he took his toy back. Once we finished eating, we took the hotel carriage to the train station. The porters unloaded our trunks and took them to my car. Than Luke and I went to find Mr. Callaway who was holed away in his office.

I knocked on his door and proceeded to wait for him to answer. He must have been very preoccupied because I had to nock two more times before he answered.

He finally opened the door. "Ah, Miss. Swan. It's a pleasure to see you again," he greeted, "I take it that your car is satisfactory?" He asked.

"Yes, it is thank you for having it cleaned," I answered

"Good, good now what can I assist you with today, Miss Swan?"

"I wanted to know who I would speak to about having my car unhooked from the train in Redding California. I want to spend some time there," I told him.

"That's no problem Miss. I will let the train's engineer and brakemen know that it is to be taken off in Redding. Once you are ready to leave just let the Station master in Redding know and he will take care of the rest."

_Ok, that sounds simple enough_, I thought to myself. "Thank you, Mr. Callaway, I do appreciate your help."

"You're welcome, Miss Swan. Have a safe trip," He said then turned to go back in his office.

Luke and I made our way back to the platform, and down to my car to get situated and wait for the train to leave the station. The first thing I did was to make sure that our trunks had arrived and were put into our rooms per my request. I went into my room and found that the trunks had made it safely. I went to open it and found my key would not fit, so I went to the other room, to make sure it was the right luggage. Thankfully, it was. I opened the steamer and could see that all my clothing was there.

Having confirmed that everything was set with our luggage, I walked out to the main lounge area, to sit down and wait, checking my watch as I made my way in. It was 2:37 now, so there was only about twenty minutes left till departure. I was excited to go. Before now I had never ridden on a train, and the new experience was something to look forward to.

Luke was lying on the other couch and looked to be sleeping, so I did not bother him. I went back in my room to grab a book and took it back out to read. I had gotten deeply involved in my book when I heard the train's whistle blow. I jumped up to look out the window. Luke sat up from his nap and looked around forgetting where we were.

"I think we're getting ready to pull out of the station," I told him.

"About time," He grouched, still looking sleepy.

Just then I could feel the car tug as it started to roll down the track. Before long we had made our way out of the station and well on our way out of the city.

"This is so exciting!" I announced.

Luke just grinned at me, obviously just as excited to be leaving. Once the train had made its way out of the city, it started to pick up speed. It was so much better than traveling by stage.

We arrived in Redding three days after leaving Tacoma. It was a very pretty little town. I had been to Sacramento before on vacation, but never had the chance to come further north. The trip from Tacoma had been very nice. Luke and I used the time to work on his schooling. He was very intelligent it did not take him long to pick up whatever we were working on.

Once we were in the station a porter came to the door and let us know that they would be removing my car from the train and putting it on the spare track for as long as we wanted to spend in Redding.

Luke looked confused as I had forgotten to tell him about my plans. "So were staying here then?" He asked.

I nodded, "Yes, there is a horse ranch about thirty miles south that I want to visit. I was told that they have the best horses in California." I smiled, "I want to get a couple of horses so that when we get to El Paso we have transportation. Have you ever ridden?"

He just shook his head, "No, I've always lived in a city there was no need for a horse."

"Me either, I guess we will have to learn together," I laughed. "Come on its still early lets go explore." I grabbed my purse and we headed toward the center of town. I wanted to find a store to get some jeans. There was no way I was going to ride a horse in a dress or skirt.

There was only one store in town it was much like the general store in forks. We looked around and I bought several pairs of jeans and shirts, a pair of boots and a cowboy hat for myself and Luke.

While there Luke convinced me to buy some candy for him as well as a couple of children's books so he could start reading. Once finished we went to the Livery Stable to hire a carriage so that we could go to the ranch tomorrow.

It was not long before arrangements were made so we went to the one restaurant in town to get dinner before going back to the car. I had found that you could pay for a bath at the local hotel so Luke and I decided to go do that in the morning before leaving town to go to the ranch.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of someone knocking on my door. Apparently, Luke was excited to get going. "I'm up!" I yelled.

The morning flew swiftly by and we found ourselves walking to the livery after breakfast to meet with the man who would be taking us to the ranch. I had decided the previous night that we would take some clothing with us, not knowing how long we would be at the ranch. I also got some more money out, not knowing how much the horses would cost. It was far better to have too much than not enough. Luke was practically skipping the whole way there and ran ahead to the stable to wait for me, saying that I was too slow. I just laughed at him as he ran full out ahead of me.

The driver was a quiet man and did not try to pick up a conversation as we made our way to the Triple T Bar Ranch. The trip took most of the day and we arrived just before three p.m. The driver greeted one of the ranch hands and took the horses to the stable so they could rest and get water.

Luke and I were taken up to the main ranch house to meet the owner and talk to him about buying a couple of horses. The ranch hand, whose name was Bailey, knocked on the door and patiently waited for someone to answer. Once the door opened there was a woman in her late thirties standing there.

"This is Miss Swan and her brother Luke. She's here to speak with Mr. Chancy about buying a couple horses," He told the woman.

"Thank you, Bailey. That will be all," she dismissed him and turned to me with a smile. "Well now, it's a pleasure Miss Swan, Luke, won't you both come in." She opened the door wider and motioned us in, then shut the door behind us. She took us into what looked to be the study.

"My name is Becky Chancy," She introduced herself as she shook our hands.

"I'm Bella and this is my brother Luke. It's nice to meet you," I greeted her.

She smiled and motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs. "I'll send my husband in he should be with you shortly. I'm just finishing up dinner. You'll both stay wont you?" She asked

"Yes, thank you," I nodded. "That would be wonderful."

She smiled and turned to leave gently shutting the door behind herself.

Luke was looking around the room checking out the artwork around the study. There were several western themed paintings and a few bronze statues of horses, one sitting on the edge of a large mahogany desk.

After a few minutes, the door was opened revealing a man in his late thirties. He was about six foot tall and had light brown curly hair and blue eyes and a friendly smile. "Hello, Miss Swan," he greeted me and then turned to Luke, "and you must be Luke." He shook our hands, "I'm Joseph, but most folks call me Joe." He smiled. "I hear you've come to buy a couple of horses from me."

I nodded, "I was told that you raise the best horses on the west coast.

He smiled, "Well we certainly try to." He went and sat behind the mahogany desk. "So Miss Swan, what type of horses are you looking for?" He asked.

"Honestly Joe, I grew up in a city and haven't had much contact with horses. I was hoping that we could stay here and learn for a few weeks." He looked contemplative. "We would of course pay you extra and room and board," I continued.

"I think we could arrange that, Miss Swan. We have two guest rooms that you and Luke are welcome to use for during your stay." He nodded to himself, "Yes, I think that will work out just fine, and we will take care of the cost when you purchase the horses." He smiled, "We have several that you can choose from, tomorrow we will go out and take a look at them. How does that sound to you?" He asked.

I smiled at his hospitality. "That would be wonderful," I said, and Luke eagerly agreed.

Becky knocked on the door to inform us that dinner was ready. Joe got up from his desk and we followed him into the dining room. Becky had already set the extra places for Luke and me, and there was a young girl already seated at the table. She looked to be around twelve or so. She had Becky's platinum blond hair and her father's curls with huge blue-green eyes. She was a stunning child.

Joe went over and stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders, and a proud smile on his face. "This is my daughter, Charlotte. She runs the place and keeps the hands on their toes" He smiled indulgently at her.

She grinned back. "Charlotte, this is Miss Bella and her brother Luke," he pointed to us. "They are going to be staying with us for a while, and I was hoping that you would teach them how to ride."

She looked over to me, "It's nice to meet you, and I like to be called Char." Then she looked at Luke smiling shyly. "Sure, Pa who do you want them to ride?" She asked.

Luke and I sat down at the table across from her while Joe sat at the head of the table leaving a seat next to Char for her mother to sit. "They're going to be buying a couple from us," he told his daughter. "So tomorrow we're going to show them around and let them pick out a few to try."

Char looked at her father and nodded her head in understanding. "Ok, pa, sounds good," She agreed.

Becky came in with the last of the food and set it on the table and then sat down next to Char. She smiled at her husband and he started to say grace. All through dinner Char kept sneaking peaks at Luke and then would quickly look back down at her plate, and blush. Luke was oblivious, but it was really cute to watch.

Once dinner was finished I helped Becky clear the table and helped clean up in the kitchen while Luke went into the sitting room with Joe and Char. Once finished we went in and joined them. Joe was busy telling stories to Luke and Char about his adventures when he was younger and had their full attention. It was not long before I found myself caught up in his stories as well. He was a fantastic story teller, and even Becky would chuckle at parts, probably remembering a few first hand.

Around eight-thirty Joe turned to Char. "Alright, little girl, its high time you went to bed. Its well past your normal bed time. Go on now, scoot," He chuckled.

"Aw, Pa, just a little longer?" she whined to her father.

"Char, you know better. Get going before I tan your hide," He warned mildly.

She jumped up quickly and ran out the door throwing out a hasty "good night" on her way out.

Joe chuckled to himself saying, "That girls a little firecracker."

Joe excused himself to go check on her and make sure she was in fact getting to bed as she'd been told, saying a quick "good night" on his way out.

Becky showed Luke and I to our rooms and told us that breakfast would be at six sharp.

We bade her goodnight and each went into our separate rooms.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a rooster crowing and it sounded like the stupid bird was right outside my window. I grabbed my watch to check the time and found that it was already five-thirty, so I drug myself out of the bed and got washed and dressed for the day. I decided to wear a simple skirt and blouse, and if I ended up riding I could just come back and change. I went to Luke's door to make sure he was up but there was no answer so I cracked the door looking in. Apparently, he was excited to get on with the day because there was no sign of him.

Once in the dining room I offered to help Becky get breakfast ready. She had me set the table and help bring the food in. Around six, Joe came in with Char and Luke tailing him. Luke had a big smile on his face as he came to sit next to me.

"I got to go help feed the horses with Joe and Char!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Joe nodded to him. "He was a big help too." He praised Luke, then said, "I had the boys bring in the horses I'm willing to let go of. We'll go down to the pens after breakfast."

"Thank You, I can't wait to go see them," I told him.

Luke was practically vibrating in the chair next to me with excitement, and was finished with his breakfast well before the rest of us. Once breakfast was over, Joe, Char, Luke and I went down to the horse pens to take a look at them. They were gorgeous. All of them had long flowing manes and tails and were thickly built with thick necks and intelligent eyes.

"What type of horses are they Joe?" I asked.

He smiled, "They are Spanish stock that my father had imported from Europe. They're called Andalusians. They are very rare here in America yet, but they make some of the best cow horses. The Spaniards use them to work the fighting bulls." He was clearly proud of his horses and you could tell just by the way he talked about them. He continued, "My father was traveling through Spain and fell in love with them so he imported five stallions and fifteen mares so that he could start breeding them, that's when he established this ranch. Now we have a herd of a hundred horses." He smiled thinking about his father. "When I was a boy he taught me the Spanish way of training horses and all about breeding. Someday, the ranch will be passed down to Char," He stated proudly.

"They are stunning." I looked over at least fifteen horses milling around in the pen. They were all varying shades of dark grey or white, there was one red one, four black ones and, a brownish colored one with black mane and tail. "Is this the main color?"

He nodded, "Yes, most are born black and grey with age. A few stay black. However, that chestnut one there," he said, pointing at the red one, "and that bay" he pointed at the brown one, "are extremely rare. Just point out a few that you each like and we will sort them from the rest. Then you can try them out to see how you get along. I'm a firm believer in making sure that a horse and rider getting along before I'll sell one to someone," he explained. "Horses this day and age are used for work, but my horses are special. I have people all over the country wanting them, but unless they come in person they won't get one," he stated.

"I can see why," I agreed with him.

I looked over the herd and mentally started picking out the ones that caught my eye. It was hard because they were all stunning. It was apparent that Joe and his father before him breed their horses very carefully.

I turned to Luke. "Have you decided yet?" I asked.

He nodded and his head before speaking to Joe, "I like those three," he pointed out the ones he was talking about, "the two black ones and then the chestnut."

Joe called out to the men on horseback in the pen and they sorted them from the rest putting them in an adjoining pen. It was my turn and I picked out a dark dappled grey, a black, and then the bay. They sorted them as well and put them in a different pen than the ones that Luke had picked. Joe gave the men in the pen additional instructions and they left the pen to go do what he asked.

He turned back to us, "Well, let's go take a look at the ones you picked, Luke." He started walking to the pen, as we followed closely behind.

He pointed to one of the black horses that Luke picked, "That one is Apollo. He's an eight year old gelding." He pointed to the other black, "That's Seraphina, she's a seven year old mare," then he pointed out the chestnut, "and that's Rojo Feuego, which means Red Fire. He's a seven year old gelding, and he lives up to his name. He's gonna need just the right type of rider, one with a light hand," he stated to Luke. Then we followed him to the pen where my picks were. He nodded to me "You picked the best of the bunch and they're all well suited for you." He pointed to the black one "That one is a six year old gelding, his name's Amigo. He's a big puppy dog and ever since he was a colt he'd come right up for attention." He pointed to the Bay, "That's Camille. She's an eight year old mare. Very calm and collected, she would make a great ladies horse." He pointed to the last one "This one right here is Casimiro, which means peaceful. He's a seven year old gelding, and one of my favorites. They all have been fully trained using the method that my father learned in Spain."

Once he had explained a little about about the different horses he turned to Luke and instructed him, "Why don't you and Char go pick out one of the horses and she'll help you tack up and then we'll see which one you get along with." Luke nodded enthusiastically as he and char went into the barn to get the tack.

Joe turned toward me, "Now for you, Miss Bella. I'm afraid I don't have any side saddles, so you're going to have to ride astride.

"Oh, that's fine. I bought some pants in town. I've never ridden sidesaddle and I don't want to try now," I laughed.

He nodded in agreement, "Why don't you get changed and I'll wait for you in the barn, then I'll teach you how to tack a up."

With that I turned to head into the house to change. I couldn't wait to learn how to ride.

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**Huge thanks and hugs to everyone that has posted comments, ****you guys are wonderful!**_  
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	9. Luke

_I just want to thank all of you for your amazing comments; they brighten my day when I see them. I don't have the opportunity to go through and thank all of you individually, but thank you all so much, you're freakin awesome! _

**All Characters and the twilight series belong to SM! **

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_**Chapter 9:**_

**Luke**

Lucas POV

So far, our time here had been perfect and I loved being around the horses. I got to go choose a few that took my fancy. One of them looked like he had fire in his soul. You could see it in his eyes. I could not wait to try riding him. He looked like he would be a challenge.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Char as she grabbed my hand and started dragging me into the barn. She was an energetic little thing and I was having trouble keeping up to her. We went around the corner and she pointed out a door on the right, "This is the tack room where all the saddles, bridles and grooming supplies are kept." She had a questioning look on her face, "Who do you want to ride first?"

I thought for a moment before answering her. "Um, how about Seraphina?" I asked questioningly.

She grinned, "Oh, you'll like her she's such a sweet little horse," She exclaimed.

Sweet was not what I wanted – I wanted a challenge, and this horse did not seem to be a challenge from Char's description. "Ok, sounds fine by me."

She grabbed a rope thing off the wall and held it up for me to get a better look at. "This is a halter. It's what you use to catch and tie a horse with," she explained. Then she turned and went back out to the pen, with me close on her heels. She opened the gate and we went through, walking calmly over to the horse.

"Phina, come on girl," she said as she made her way over. Once by her head, she reached her hand out and patted the horse's neck lovingly and cooed to her, "Good girl, Phina. Now, Luke, I'm gonna show you how to do this once than you can try.

"Sure," I said while watching her do the halter thingy. It did not look so hard. Once finished, she took it back off and handed it to me while backing away from Phina.

I walked up calmly while talking to the horse. She just stood patiently while I made my way up. "Good girl, you sure are a pretty girl aren't ya?" I asked.

Phina turned her giant head in my direction, getting a better look at me. I patted her neck. She was silky soft feeling like satin as I ran my hand down her neck. I took the halter, sliding it over her velvet nose and then wrapped it around her head latching it as Char had. I looked over to Char who was now grinning ear to ear.

"See? Easy," she encouraged. "Now just grab the rope and walk toward the gate and she'll follow you out."

I did as Char instructed heading to the gate. It was kinda scary having such a large animal follow right on my heel, and I had to tramp down my nerves. Char opened the gate for me and I walked Phina through.

"Just take her in the barn and I'll show you how to tie her. Then we can get her groomed and tacked up," she said as she closed the gate behind us.

I nodded to her and walked into the barn, waiting for Char to come in. She took the rope from me and led Phina to a pole that had a ring on it, running the rope through the ring. "Now watch closely and then you try," Char stated.

She made a series of loops while describing what she was doing, and called it a quick release knot. It was a special knot used so that if a horse was to get scared you could quickly release it before the horse injured themselves. Char was telling me all about how horses were flight or fight animals and sometimes would try so hard to get away that they would injure themselves. It was so much information to take in, all the horses that I had seen were always hitched to wagons or buggies, and I had never been around one like this before. She pulled the tail of the rope releasing it, and backed out of the way for me to try.

It took several attempts before I got it half way decent, but Char made me do it until it was perfect. She was a slave driver. She showed me how to brush and saddle Phina, making me do it after she was finished, stating that I would be doing this on my own with the other horses. Once finished, she took me to a large empty pen and told me how to steer, how to stop, and how to go. Once she had covered the basics, she then instructed me on how to get on Phina. Riding was freedom like I had never felt before in my life before. I went around a couple of times stopping Phina at the fence where Char was sitting.

"You look like a natural out there. You're doing amazing!" she told me.

I could feel the smile on my face. "Thanks," I grinned at her.

"Now that your comfortable walking, try getting her to go faster," Char suggested. "Just squeeze with your legs until she moves into the next gait. It's called a trot."

I did as instructed. It was easy because Phina was so responsive. She started trotting and I was all but bounced out of the saddle. I definitely was not impressed. I heard Char laughing, "She has a rough trot, but a really nice canter. Squeeze your legs and get her going," she called from her seat.

I squeezed and Phina took off. I grabbed onto the horn and held on for dear life, but after a lap or two, I started to relax and it was amazing. It felt like being on a rocking horse. We cantered all over the pen and I got the feel of how to steer her. I cantered her to where Char was sitting, noticing that both Joe and Bella where watching now as well. Once there, I pulled her up at the fence to stop and rest for a few minutes.

Joe smiled, "Well look at you!" he exclaimed. "You're a natural if I ever did see one. I don't think Phina is enough horse for you though." He nodded to himself, "you need something more challenging. A boy's horse should have more fire." He grinned.

Bella smiled at me, "Luke, you look great out there!" I noticed that she had changed clothing and was now wearing a similar outfit to me.

I grinned back at her, "Thank you."

"Luke, why don't you and Char get one of the others and come back out here once you're finished?" Joe motioned over to the pen that held my other two picks.

I quickly followed Char out the gate and went back into the barn where we un-tacked Phina, and set everything aside.

Char turned to me, "I'll take Phina back to the herd while you get one of the others ready."

I nodded in acceptance and went into the tack room to get another halter, making my way back out to the pen. I ended up getting Apollo this time. He was taller than Phina, but seemed just as quiet. I finished tacking him up just as Char walked in, setting the halter aside. We made our way out to the pen and Joe opened the gate for me to go through with Apollo.

I quickly got on Apollo and took him through his paces just like Phina. He was very similar to her except that he had a little bit smoother trot and his canter was not quite as nice. He was just as laid back as Phina, but at the same time had a little more energy in him. I liked him alright, but I could take him or leave, him not really feeling any connection to him. I went back to the fence where Bella, Joe, and Char waited.

Joe was the first to speak, "you look comfortable on him, but I still don't see him being the right horse for you. Go ahead and take him back and get Fuego out. I think you two will be perfect for each other." He grinned and winked at me.

Fuego was amazing! He was like riding raw power. I could feel it with each step he took and it made me smile a mile wide. He was just as well trained as the other two, but it only took the slightest touch to guide him. Once we were in sync, it seemed almost as if he was reading my mind. I would think to ask him to trot and he would be. He had the smoothest trot and canter and I could easily ride him all day and never get tired, unlike the first two.

I rode him over to the fence. Joe was grinning and talking to Bella, then he turned to me. "Well you two were made for each other. Fuego is generally very testy, but together you work well. He's definitely your horse," he declared with a smile and nodded to himself.

Bella nodded in agreement, and Char was stroking Fuego's neck and praising his good behavior. Joe pat gave him a pat on the neck and told me to take him out into the pen and get to know him better while he took Bella to get one of the horses she had picked out. Joe turned to go to the pens with Bella following behind. I watched as they went into the barn, then Fuego stamped his foot impatient to be moving again. I laughed and patted him, "I know, boy, let's get going."

Char told me that she needed to get up to the house to help her mother with lunch. She patted Fuego on the neck and jumped down from the fence running up to the house. I rode for another hour or so before Char came back to the fence, letting me know that it was time for Lunch and to go un-tack and put Fuego back in the pen.

On my way up to the house I saw Bella in the pen with the horses she chose. Joe was talking to her while she patted a couple of them on the neck and nodded her head to whatever he was telling her. I turned and ran up the rest of the way, asking Char if she wanted me to help with anything. She just giggled at me and said that we were just waiting on Bella and her Pa.

I started to thinking over the past week since the day I met Bella. My life had been turned upside down and inside out compare to how I had been surviving before. It was amazing that in one day my life could change so completely. I would have been thrown in jail by that flatfoot, but no. For some strange reason this complete stranger let me go. On top of it, she even took me in and offered me a way to make money. At first, I thought she was a nutter. But she had obviously had money so who was I to question my good fortune by turning down her offer? I would never have to worry about food, clothing or shelter while I worked for her. Besides, if she had turned out to be crazy I had planned to just steal the money from her and take off before she even knew what hit her.

The crazy woman's name turned out to be Bella. Not only did she take me in and offer me a way to live, but insisted on me calling her my sister, though that was partly my idea. I figured I had nothing to lose. I had been in far worse situations on the streets. Before the day was out I discovered just how generous she was. I found myself dressed in new clothes, I had been fed both lunch and dinner, and was staying in the best hotel in the city. She explained that we would be leaving the city and traveling south, eventually to El Paso and that suited me just fine. I would give anything to get out of here there was nothing but bad memories left from my father.

Over the next few days I found myself getting attached to Bella and really did start thinking of her as family. She took care of me just like a sister would her brother. I started thinking less and less of running off with her money. I felt that I could trust her. At least so far she had proven herself trustworthy to me. I decided that I would just have to wait and see what happened next.

Over the next couple of days Bella and I went to the train station where she bought her own private rail car. I could hardly believe it! I had never met someone who had that much money just lying around to buy their own car. Not only that, but she set up our travel arrangements with that fat codfish. The car was some pumpkins for sure and I would be lying if I said I was not' impressed. I had never been in a house that looked like that, let alone a rail car just for traveling. Not only that, but she bought the one with an extra bedroom just for me. After that I decided that I could trust her and that she would keep her word and take care of me like she said.

While we waited for the car to be prepared, Bella started re-educating me. We went over everything: spelling, reading, math, grammar, and even speech. She said that if I was gonna act like her brother I needed to learn to speak better. I remember my mother teaching me how to speak properly, but after my father died, well, living on the street did not help any that is for sure. She was always so patient, though, and before long I started to remember the manners that my mother had harped on not so long ago.

Once we got to the station and Bella talked to the codfish, she told me about her plans to go to some horse farm. It sounded exciting. I had always wanted to ride a horse, but never had that I could remember. I had always lived in the city and it was unnecessary to have one. Then once my Father died it was all I could do to keep alive. A horse was a luxury that I had always dreamed of but never thought that I would have. She told me that I could pick my own out and that it would be all mine.

Now I really did find myself thinking of Bella as my sister. Over the last week that I had been with her I had decided that she was trustworthy and I did not think that I could leave her now. We may not be blood related, but she is my sister and I would be damned if I let anything happen to her now.

Once we got here to the ranch, Bella set up for us to stay with them for a time, so that they could teach us about horses and riding. I was hoping that Joe would even teach me how to shoot a gun. We were gonna be in the 'wild west' and I wanted to be sure that I could defend us from anyone. I would never let anything happen to her. She was all I had left in this world now. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the front door shutting. Bella and Joe walked into the dining room and sat down at the table, as Char and her mother brought the rest of lunch in for us. I could definitely get use to this.

Peter POV:

I was runnin' through the desert from my latest outin' with the newborns. The Major had left me with eight of them to take huntin' while he took the rest to another town. We couldn't have them all eatin' at the same place or there'd be nothin' left. _The Major is gonna be cullin' soon._ I had a feelin' that was the reason for leavin' me to take so few. Normally, he'd have me take more'n what I had with me now. These were the youngest, an' still had a few good months left in them.

We were fast approchin' the camp when my neck started tinglin like crazy. I was then bombarded with knowledge. All I could think about was _she_ was here an' I had to find her. Then _her_ face popped up! I rarely got any pictures with the feelins'. She was stunning and I had to find her. I just have to see her.

It knew it wasn't time for us to be together yet. Once it was, she was gonna be my salvation, as well as Jasper's. If I could just hold on for another year we'd be together, an' she'd be a force to reckon with. I smiled to myself. I couldn't wait to be with her. It was like a burning, aching need, and it felt like a chain wrapped around my heart pullin' me to her. I knew that I would be able to find her, no matter where she was at, as long as I followed the pull. I finally decided that I would find her, just to get a glimpse, and then I'd bide my time. We'd be together a'fore long.

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**AN: **_So here we have a little from both Luke and Peter...You will be seeing more from Peter's POV in the next chapter. ;) I know you all want to get to the good stuff...lol I'm workin on it I swear! Sorry for the delay guys, I re-wrote this about 3 times now. This one is shorter than normal, but I plan on making up for it in the next chapter. _

_I hope you all liked it!_


	10. Crossing Paths

_**AN: **__ Thank you for all the amazing comments, every single one of them made me all kinds happy, You all are amazing, Thank You! _

_Ok so there were a few questions that I wanted to go ahead and address, I don't want to spoil everything so I won't go into detail but it will at least give you an idea of where the story is heading. _

_Does Alice know what is going to happen? Nope, just like in Twilight she has seen bits and pieces and the end result, but she isn't all knowing. This will be explained in more detail later on in the story. ;)_

_What about Luke? Don't worry he is going to be seen throughout the story, you'll just have to sit tight and see how it all works out_

_Is there going to be any Bella X Peter X Jasper going on? No, This is strictly a Bella X Peter story, but Jasper is going to be playing a Major roll…..lol ;p In all seriousness though, Jasper is only going to be like a brother to her, but again, later on we will go into more depth about the whole time travel and changing the past deal later on. It's quite a bit farther in the story though so just a heads up on that one. _

_So on with the Chapter, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :D_

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_**Chapter 10:**_

**Crossing Paths**

Bella POV

Riding was amazing! I had nothing to compare it to the freedom I felt while on horseback. _It is even better than traveling by vampire_, I chuckled to myself.

After watching Luke ride, Joe took me to the pen and showed me how to catch, halter and tack up the horses. I rode Camille first. She was amazingly well trained. Joe and his hands certainly knew how to raise horses well. She responded to the lightest touch and was very well mannered. However, I did not really click with her. I had always imagined that if I owned a horse, then I wanted one that was like "The Black" from Walter Farley's books. I remember reading them when I was nine years old and they quickly captured my interest.

I knew horses were large, but until I was actually riding Camille, I never really understood. The ground looked quite far and for someone who is a natural klutz it was a scary sensation. Most of the time, I had problems walking, let alone riding. To my surprise, I had decent balance while riding. Apparently, my klutzy condition only affected my own mobility.

The next horse I rode was Apollo. He was stunning and I absolutely adored him, but again I was missing a connection. I really liked him, but if I did not have him it would have been ok. Finally, after I finished with Apollo, Joe walked up to the pen with Casimiro following behind him. It was getting close to lunch so he got him ready for me so we could finish by the time lunch was ready. I traded Apollo for Miro handing the reins over to Joe. He took him out of the pen and stood watching me for a few minutes before heading back to the barn to un-tack Apollo.

If the other two were amazing, then there were no words to describe Miro. In fact, he was quite indescribable and I felt an immediate connection to him that I was lacking with the other two. I had only been riding for a couple of minutes before Joe came back over to the fence. He started barking out orders to me like a drill sergeant, "Heels down, sit deep in the saddle. Your left rein is too short lengthen it to match the right rein and relax your entirely to tense, you'll make him tense too." I just rolled my eyes and tried to follow his directions there were so many little things I had to think about all at once it was a bit disorienting. Throughout all of this Miro just packed me around like a old school pony that had been doing this for years. After about twenty minutes, Joe told me that it was almost lunch time and that I could ride again after lunch. After quickly un-tacking Miro we put him in the pen with Fuego, and went up to the house for lunch.

Luke was already sitting at the table waiting for everyone and he looked deep in thought. I wondered what he was thinking so intently about. Char and Becky came in from the kitchen, brining the rest of lunch in with them. Luke immediately sat up, grinning, and eyeing the food like he was a lion ready to pounce on his meal. I had to quickly cover my mouth with my hand so that I did not start laughing out at his hungry-man expression.

After lunch Char started bouncing in her seat reminding me of Alice when she knew there was a sale somewhere. "Pa, I'm gonna take Luke and Bella out around the ranch and show them the area; if that's alright with you?" She asked looking up through her eye lashes at her father. She certainly had _the_ look down, I bet he could not deny her anything.

"Have you asked them whether they would like to go or not?" Joe asked, his voice firm, though I could detect the humor in it.

She quickly looked at us with a pleading expression. "No, Pa" she pouted.

Luke quickly spoke up, "I'd like to go." Then he turned to me and asked, "If you would like to Bella?"

I just smiled, "Sure, I'd love to go, too."

Joe nodded his head and looked at Char. "Next time you ask ahead of time Char. It's bad manners to assume someone will do something."

"Yes, Pa. I'm sorry Bella, Luke, next time I'll be sure to ask first." Char pushed back from the table and hoped out of her seat, motioning for Luke and me to hurry up. Luke was quick to follow, and they ran out the front door together while I slowly followed in their wake. It felt like I was eighty years old. Everything hurt like crazy including muscles that I did not even know I had. All I could think of was how sore I already felt, and could only imagine how I would be by the end of the day.

By the time I got down to the barn, Luke and Char were already brushing their horses and getting tack out. I went out to the pen to get Miro, he was patiently waiting by the gate, apparently ready to get going as well. On the way to the barn every once in a while he would nudge me with his nose as if to say "come on, lets go already you slow human." I tied him up and started to brush him. He was already pretty clean from our ride earlier in the day, though there were a few spots of dirt on his coat. Apparently, he had a good roll after our ride earlier.

Luke and Char took their horses outside and got on. Char called in to me, "Bella, we'll be in the pen riding while you finish up."

"Alright, I'll be there shortly," I answered back. I could hear them talking and laughing as the horses moved away from the barn, so I hurried to get finish getting Miro ready.

Once I had the saddle and bridle on, I took him out of the barn and mounted up and we walked over to the pen where Luke and Char were riding. They were over on the far side and once they spotted me they came racing over. Char leaned over her horses back to reach down and unlatch the gate pushing it open with her foot. Then they walked through with Char behind so that she could re-latch it.

Sitting back up after latching the gate, she smiled at Luke and I and asked excitedly, "Well, are you two ready to go?"

Luke nodded to her and I offered a happy "yes" in agreement. I was anxious to see the ranch and the surrounding countryside which was gorgeous with a mixture of open grass land rolling hills and forest. The ranch itself sat in an open area but was surrounded by trees and hills. Northern California was absolutely stunning and the weather had been fantastic since we arrived, staying at a constant and very appealing eighty-five degrees or so.

Char turned her horse and began going north up the main road that leads from the ranch. Luke was quick to follow and I brought up the rear, enjoying the scenery as we made our way out of the ranch. Char started trotting ahead and we followed behind. Once she was just on the edge of the ranches entrance she took a right and started going around the perimeter.

There were several barns on the ranch, and she explained the functions of each one as we passed by it. I was ecstatic to find that there was a bath house similar to the one that Mrs. O'Conner had at the boarding house. I could hardly wait to get a bath and after today I would desperately need one. Horses were stunning creatures, but they certainly had a scent that clung to you. Not to mention, a long soak in a tub would help ease the soreness that I was sure to have by the end of the day.

After we rode around the perimeter of the ranch we were back at the main entrance and she proceeded to go further down the road, showing us some of the horses that her father had on the range and also a few of his prize stallions. Each stallion apparently had a band of mares that he controlled, during the summer months while the horses were coming into heat. Then, once fall came, the stallions were separated back into their own herd while the mares were put together out in a separate pasture.

"Char, won't the stallions fight with each other when they are put together come fall?" I asked.

"No, not really anyway." She seemed to be thinking of how to explain better before continuing, "See, the stallions do fight, but only at first to establish a pecking order. Once that's established then they get along pretty well except for a squabble here and there. Now if you were to bring a mare out to them then yes they would fight over her. As long as it's just them, though, they're fine." She grinned, "Actually in the wild stallions will form their own bands. They're called bachelor herds."

"So how many horses are born each spring?" Luke asked her.

"It depends on the year. Some years Pa only breeds a couple mares per stallion and others there are up to six per stallion. He's real picky when it comes down to it, and only breeds his best stock."

We were a good two miles from the ranch when Char pointed up ahead to the left. "See that boulder up ahead? There's a trail that we'll be takin' to the left. It's one of my favorites and I wanna show you my favorite spot. Just be sure to stay with me 'cause there are still lots of wild cats around here." She patted the sheathed rifle that was attached to her saddle. "I always carry my rifle with me, just in case," she smiled.

We both nodded to her as we came up to the trail she had indicated to earlier. She guided her horse to the left and started up the trail with Luke following closely behind. This girl was pretty amazing, she reminded me of those books that I use to read about the pioneer girls. Her survival instincts far outstripped my own. I bet she would have had the sense to not hang out with vampires, unlike my own lacking self preservation. I chuckled to myself just picturing what a meeting would have been like between someone like herself and the Cullens, or just Alice for that matter. I bet she would never have played dress up with her.

We were pretty far into the forest now and I could hear running water up ahead that sounded like a river, or a decent sized creek. Before long we came to a clearing that was large enough for all three of the horses to stand side by side. Char walked her horse into the river and let him get a drink of water. Once he was finished he started to paw at it splashing everything behind him including Luke and Fuego, who took the brunt of the water assault.

Char turned to them and started giggling at the expression on Fuego's face. He was not happy and started to snort and had his ears slightly pinned, with a look of absolute incredulity. I could not contain my laughter either; I'd never seen an animal with quite that much disdain for something before. Fuego quickly snaked his head out and nipped Char's horse on the rear, making him jump forward out of reach. Luke patted him on the neck and reassured him, "That's it boy, you show those girls that we won't take that from anyone." Fuego seeming to be in agreement started nodding his head and then shook the excess water off himself.

Char was smiling while talking quietly to her horse, "It's ok Dante, don't mind those two, they're just spoil sports." She laughed at the end. "After we finish here were going to follow the river for about a mile. There's a deep part of the river where we can cool the horses off at."

Luke and I walked our horses into the river letting them get a drink as well. Once they were finished we followed Char to the opposite side and rode further up the river to the spot she was talking about.

We spent the majority of the afternoon there enjoying the rest of the day by the river. Luke and Char took the saddles off the horses and swam them in the river, while Miro and I lounged on the bank, watching them play around. Fuego still did not seem too impressed being in the water, but seemed to be resigned at any rate.

Char and Luke seemed to be hitting it off really well and were having a fun time together; I just hoped that Luke would not take it too hard when we finally left. I did not think that he thought of Char as anything but a friend, but she was the first real friend he had made since we had met.

Peter POV

I could see our encampment up ahead and when the wind shifted, I could smell the smoke from burning vampires. The newborns that were with me all started to act nervous and looked at me to see what I would do. Of course I knew what was goin' on but I couldn't very well tell them that this happened on a regular basis. They're instincts were tellin' them to run fast as they could in the opposite direction, self preservation and all that. I took the lead and ran into the camp while they followed behind at a safe distance, knowing that whatever was ahead I would be the first to be takin' out if it was our enemies.

Once we were in camp and they saw that it was safe, I told 'em to take some free time while I went to find my brother and see what happened with the cullin'. Jasper was standin' by the dyin' fire, just watchin' it as the last of the remains were burned away. He turned to me as I approached and let out a warnin' growl, he was always on high alert after dispatchin' newborns. You never knew if the ones remainin' had friends that they would try to avenge. This rarely happened though due to Jasper's talent, as he would make sure any newborns that had feelings for one another were dispatched long before it could be an issue. It would weaken us as a whole, for them to have attachments. Though this wasn't normally a problem, newborns were extremely volatile and usually would kill each other off as easily as an enemy.

I bowed my head to him in submission and waited for permission to approach. I was lucky that he was my brother, by blood before and by venom now. Once the bitch Maria found out that Jasper was so powerful, she located me years later and turned me, hopin' for another vampire as useful her as Jasper was. He was furious once he found out but by then it was too late, I was already a newborn. My being turned was probably the best thing that could have happened though. We always watched each other's back and made sure that we both made it out of battle alive and relatively unharmed. Most vampires didn't have this luxury.

I was only five when Jasper had gone to join the Confederate Army in their effort to defeat the Yanks. I don't remember much from my human life but I do remember that, and I remember how I always looked up to him as my big brother. I still look up to him. He is the God of War after all, there's no vampire his equal at this point. But the day will come, it comes closer each day, and I can't wait.

Jasper finally allowed me to come up to him. "Major," I nodded to him.

"Peter, we're gonna head on up ta Houston an' recruit. I need ya ta stay here an' keep the rest in line 'til the mistress an' I get back. Gorge an' Carlos'll stay behind ta help. We'll be leavin' at the end'a the week an' we'll probably be gone 'til the following week."

"Yes, Sir," I agreed, knowing that he would be back throughout the week with newborns to drop off and head back for more. "Jasper, I need a favor a'fore ya leave, if ya can." I usually never call him by his given name, unless it's important. The newborns don't know that we're brothers and we like to keep it that way, so they can't use it against us. The only one who knows is the bitch who turned us, but that's okay. One day in the coming future she'll get what's commin' to her.

"What is it? I'll see what I can do."

"I need ta go ta California. I jus' have a feelin' I need ta be there, an' it won't take more'n a few days at most. I'll be back long a'fore ya need ta leave fer Houston."

He thought about it for a few minutes, most likely going over scenarios and makin' sure that it would be safe for me to take the trip. Finally he nodded his head "Fine, but'cha need ta make it quick. We can't afford fer Maria ta find ya gone. Peter, I don't wanna have ta punish ya, so ya best be back fore I leave, ya hear?"

"Yes, Sir," I grinned. Nothing could keep me down. I was gonna see my girl, even if it would only be for few hours, it would keep me goin' 'til I could hold her in my arms and claim her as mine.

"Go on then. Hurry back, an' be safe."

I turned tail, running as fast as I could to my soul, my heart, MY MATE.

My beast was pacin' and rattlin' the bars of his cage, beggin' for me to go faster. He knew what was waitin' for him in California. He would not be denied and neither would I.

Bella POV

The sun was starting to lower in the sky when we finally got underway again. We had stayed much longer than Char had anticipated, and she was afraid that her father would be angry if we did not make it back soon. We quickly tacked the horses back up and got going.

Char turned back to us, "We're gonna have to canter if we want to make it home by supper time. Is that alright with you Bella?"

I really had not had much practice riding at a canter, but under the circumstances figured that we needed to get back as soon as possible. "Yes, that's fine," I assured her.

She nodded her head and clucked to her horse. He started off at a good pace and Luke got Fuego going, quickly catching up to her. Miro did not want to be left behind and took off without even having to be asked. I held onto the horn for extra security while he cantered behind the other two. We caught up to them before long and hit the main road in record time. Once on the road where the ground was more even for the horses, Char took off at a fast gallop back to the ranch. I held on for dear life and felt like we were flying.

Joe was waiting at the barn with a scowl on his face when we arrived, and immediately started in on Char about losing track of the time. I could tell that he had been worried about us and was just taking it out on her. She quickly apologized to her father and of course said it would not happen again. It made me think of Charlie and my heart immediately started to clench. It hurt to think of him and Renee. Joe helped us un-tack the horses and brush them down before putting them away. I asked him about the bath house as we headed inside and he had one of the hands get it ready so that I could use it after supper.

After a tiring day outside, my bath was amazing. I soaked in the hot water for a solid hour and actually fell into a light sleep. It was heavenly, and the warmth of the water eased my aching muscles. I had been right in thinking that I would be incredibly sore after the day's events. After I got out and made my way to my room, I fell into the bed not even having the energy to get under the blankets, but rather falling asleep on top of everything.

That night I dreamt of my mysterious vampire again, it was the first dream I remember having had of him since fining myself stuck here in the past. This time, though, the dream was different. It lasted longer and I saw his face clearly for the first time. He reminded me of Jasper in a way, though he looked a few years older, maybe in his mid twenties. He had similar features, but his hair was more of a light brown with streaks of blond reminding me of a wheat field in the sun and it was a little straighter and cut shorter while Jasper's had been longer in the front and shorter in the back. If he was not related to Jasper in some way I would be surprised, but I had never heard anything about Jasper having had any brothers. On the other hand, I had not had the opportunity to get to know him very well with Edward's constant protection of me. It is surprising that he allowed me to cook my own food, let alone be around his family at all.

I pulled myself out of bed and got ready for the day, opting to dress in my riding outfit, it was so much more comfortable than the dresses, and luckily on the ranch it was not out of place. Becky even wore men's clothing when she went out to help Joe and the rest of the hands with the horses.

I went downstairs to see if Becky wanted any help with breakfast. She was a quiet woman and seemed to be somewhat introverted although very pleasant and helpful. I decided to take some time later in the day to sit down and get to know her better. I was not sure how long we would be here for but either way it would be nice to talk to another woman. I could hear her moving about the kitchen getting pots and pans out to start breakfast. I gently knocked on the door to get her attention. She turned around from the stove and smiled at me.

"Good morning, Bella. What can I do for you?" She asked politely.

"Good morning. I was just going to see if you wanted any help with breakfast."

"Oh sure, Hun. You can help with the eggs. Are you any good at flipping them without breaking the yoke?"

"Yes," I smiled, thinking back over how many times I had made breakfast for Renee. "My mom wasn't very gifted at cooking so I learned at a young age," I explained.

She laughed, "Mine wasn't either. I remember, I had just turned eight when my Gran visited. She taught me how to cook because it skipped a generation with my Ma," she chuckled, and turned back to making the pancake batter as she continued her story. "My Ma tried for years to learn, but she still to this day will burn toast. My Pa, bless him, loves her with all his heart, but after all us children were grown and gone, he hired a woman to come to the house and cook for them."

"So, do your parents live around here?"

She had a wistful look before she answered, "No, I grew up in Pittsburgh. My Pa works as a foreman in the steel mill there. I met Joe when he and his father were visiting with us. Joes Pa was friends with mine, and we had known about each other, but never met. Our parents had hoped that we would hit it off." She laughed, "They were very happy when we did and we married shortly after we met. Joe's always been sure of what he wants and will persist until he gets it." I laughed with her. "Chars just like him in that respect. You'd better watch out for your brother, she seems to have her eye on him."

I giggled "She's only twelve I'm sure she will have her fair share of crushes until she finds the right one for her."

She just shook her head and answered, "No, once those two have something in mind you'd best watch out because she and her Pa are stubborn as the day is long. She may only be twelve but has always been older in mind and spirit than most girls her age. I think Joe really likes that brother of yours too so that's double the trouble."

"You really think so?" I asked.

"Yes, Ma'am I do. I've seen that look in her eye it's the same one Joe had when we met." She had a sly look "I've seen Luke sneaking looks at her, too, but I doubt he notices her as anything more than a friend right now" She laughed.

"I'll have to keep an eye out. I seemed to have missed that one." She just nodded in agreement. "I'm sure Luke is still a few years off from taking any interest in girls yet."

She just chuckled pouring the batter in the pan and moving the sausages around to keep them from burning. "I'd be more worried about Char's influence on him for now. She gets into more trouble than ten girls the same age. She's such a tomboy, spending most days outside, rather than in the house learning what a woman needs to know. Joe treats her like a son than a daughter, and she prefers it that way."

I started cracking the eggs and cooking them while Becky continued fixing the rest of breakfast. Char came bounding in from the dining room. "Ma, do you want me to set the table?"

Becky turned from her cooking to answer her, "Yes, if you would please Char, and go find Luke and your Pa. Let them know breakfast is just about ready."

Char started for the dishes. "Yes, Ma'am" answered as she grabbed them and went back to the dining room, coming back shortly for the glasses and silverware. Once finished she let us know before running along to find Joe and Luke.

Once everything was finished Becky and I took it into the dining room where everyone was sitting waiting patiently. Well, everyone was patient except for Char, who was bouncing in her chair. I swear, that girl had limitless energy.

After breakfast was over Becky and I cleared the table with Char's help. Once finished I went outside to look for Joe. He, Char and Luke were saddling the horses up when I approached.

He tipped his hat to me. "We're gonna go fix some of the fences around the ranch. Did you want to come?" He asked me politely.

"No, that's okay, I was just going to take Miro out for a ride. I wanted to follow the trail that Char showed us yesterday." I had decided during breakfast that I wanted to go back to the river and take one of my books with me. It was such a peaceful place to sit to read and relax. I thought I might even dress down and swim in the river a little. It was still early in the morning but was promising to be a hot day.

"Just be careful, there are a lot of wild animals in the forests around here." He seemed to think for a minute before heading into the house, he came back with a gun and holster. "Do you know how to shoot one of these?" He asked.

I had never been so happy that Charlie was a police officer. He had taken me shooting on several occasions stating that "guns are most dangerous when you don't know how to use them." I nodded my head to Joe and assured him, "My father was an avid hunter and taught me how to shoot at a young age."

"Good, I'd feel much better about you going alone if you have this with you for protection."

I smiled, "Thank you Joe, I'll be careful. I don't expect to be back for lunch but I should be back well before supper," I let him know.

He nodded in agreement, tipped his hat to me again and got on his horse, Char and Luke following his lead. They all left out the front entrance with Luke and Char turning to wave to me before getting out of sight. Once they were gone, I went into the house to let Becky know of my plans and pack a small lunch for later. She was in the office rag in hand dusting the room.

"Becky, I'm going to take Miro out for the day and won't be back for lunch. I should be back in plenty of time for supper, though.

"Sure, Hun," she replied. "I already packed a lunch for you. I was not sure if you were going to go with Joe and the kids or not, so I put it in the ice chest for you."

"Thank you, Becky. I really appreciate it." I smiled to her.

"Now be careful out there. I know Joe got the spare gun for you, but you never know what could be in the forest so make sure to keep a close watch on your surroundings. Miro will let you know if there is any danger. If he starts getting antsy and pinning his ears that's the first sign of trouble."

"I'll be sure to keep a look out, and I promise to be safe." I grinned, "I'll see you later." With that I made my way to the kitchen to grab the lunch that was waiting for me and then down to the barn where Miro was standing impatiently at the gate ready to be going. It was not long before we were on our way out the ranch entrance and down the road.

I sat by the river reading while Miro was staked to the ground allowing him enough room to graze while I read. He was relaxed and quite content just grazing. Every once in a while he would raise his head and look around, then go back to eating. When I first left the ranch I was a little apprehensive to be going on my own, but after about twenty minutes I started to relax and enjoy myself. Miro was very calm and kept a nice even pace on the whole way here. I even enjoyed cantering him for a while, he had such a pleasant rocking horse movement that it was effortless to sit.

I put my book down and stripped, deciding that it was time to take a little dip. I would let the water carry me down the river for a few hundred feet and then swim back up. The river was a nice slow current that was easy to swim against. I spent a little while in the water before making my way back up the bank sitting down and enjoying the heat of the sun.

It was around noon when I got my lunch out to eat, I decided to pack up after lunch and explore the trail further and to see where the trail led to.

I was just about to finish lunch when the hair on the back of neck started to prickle, and it felt like there was someone watching me. I started looking around, but Miro did not seem to be bothered by anything, so I was not too concerned at this point.

After lunch I tacked Miro back up and got on starting back up the trail, going further into the forest. It was still early in the afternoon so I had plenty of time to explore. Miro was more than ready to be moving and started jigging at the walk until I finally allowed him to move into a fast trot. We were covering quite a bit of ground and after a few minutes he settled back down to a walk. I was thoroughly enjoying the scenery. The forest was stunning and I got to see all types of wildlife.

I still felt as if I was being watched though, and every now and then when the breeze would pick up I would get a scent of cinnamon. It reminded me of my dream but as hard as I tried I could not see anything out of the ordinary. On the other hand, if my mysterious vampire was around and he did not want to be seen, I doubt I would get a glimpse of him. Every time I would catch a hint of cinnamon in the air, my heart would start to speed up in excitement. My self-preservation needed a serious readjustment. _Unknown vampires equal danger, stupid_. Maybe if I told myself that enough, my body would start reacting in the normal way humans should to a predator. I just hoped that he was friendly and not thirsty, because my little gun was not going to help me at all if he was here for a meal. That is if he was really here. There was always the possibility that my mind was playing tricks on me. Either way, I decided that it was time to get back to the ranch. I did not want to chance it either way.

I turned Miro around to head back the way I came, nudging him into a slow canter. Once back at the river, I walked him into the water so that he could get a drink. As I sat there waiting for him to finish I heard something running through the forest towards us. Miro pulled his head up from the water and snorted. All of a sudden, a deer came running out through the forest with a Bobcat chasing after.

Miro pinned his ears and jumped into the air while rolling back on his haunches to make a quick escape away from the cat. Unfortunately, I lost my balance and fell into the water, successfully getting the cat's attention as he broke off his pursuit of the deer and turned to face me. Miro, being the smart horse that he was, had already made his getaway and was probably halfway home already.

The cat stalked toward me as I quickly stood up grabbing for the pistol. I cocked the hammer back and aimed for the cat. Just as I pulled the trigger a blur came running out of the forest growling. The cat was dead before I could even register what had happened and I stood there staring at my mystery vampire.

My dream had not done him any justice! Where Edward had been a stunning boy, the vampire in front of me was all man. He looked similar to Jasper in build and features, but he was different at the same time. He was wearing jeans that had clearly seen better days. They were tattered and torn, not leaving much to the imagination and he wore no shirt, which meant I could drool over his stunning body. The sun glinted off of his diamond like skin and when I finally pulled my eyes up to his face I took in his burgundy eyes and smug expression.

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_I just wanted to again give a huge Thank You to all of you who are following my story, you guys are awesome!_

_All reviews are very much appreciated!_


	11. First Meeting

_**AN: All characters belong to SM, I'm just borrowing them for some fun! **_

_Thank You all for the amazing comments! I was so excited to find so many of them when I went to my user page today! I was grinning like an idiot during my class after seeing all the comments, I ended up getting some strange looks, but it was all worth it….lol _

_So there were some questions you guys had._

In present time is Peter with Char? _Very good question, no he's not, it will be part of the story later, falling into explaining the time travel. I can't really go into detail otherwise it will spoil part of the plot._ ;)

_If anyone has any questions about the story so far or in upcoming chapter, your more than welcome asking in a comment, or sending me a pm if you prefer. I will try to answer as best as I can without spoiling the story. _

_Now for some smexy peter! You will get to see their first meeting from both Bella's and Peters perspective. ;) _

_Enjoy! _

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_**Chapter 11:**_

**First Meeting**

Bella POV

I was still standing in the middle of the river, soaking wet, staring dumbly at the vampire in front of me. Good lord, he outshone any of the any of the Cullen men. He was quite a sight to see. I had always wanted to watch Edward hunt, and getting to see this man in action was a definite turn on. He was still standing there like the conquering hero, holding the bobcat in his muscular arms.

Finally, he dropped the cat to the side while maintaining eye contact with me. His smirk grew as his eyes darkened, whether from my scent or something else I was unsure. However, I decided that if this was going to be my end I would gladly accept it at the hands of this man.

"Well now darlin', sure looks like ya got yerself in a bind." He teased as he grinned at me like a small boy who found his favorite toy. It sent shivers down my spine, the good kind that left me wanting.

"Y-yes, it certainly does appear that way," I managed to stutter out, feeling like a complete idiot in front of this god-like creature.

"Miss, I do believe ya can lower yer weapon now," he chuckled. "I took care'a the big, bad pussy fer ya." He grinned wildly at that. Obviously, this guy was a bit of a perv. Either that or I was taking it the wrong way. But from the mischievous grin on his face I was going to assume the former, and not the latter.

I blushed at the realization that I was still holding the gun up like a moron. _As_ _if it would be of any use to me anyway._ Of course, if I had been a normal human I would not know what he was or that I could not hurt him with it. The question was should I be bold or play dumb. _Hmmm thinking…thinking…Yes, definitely be bold._

I grinned at him and challenged, "Well, aren't you just my vampire in shining armor?" _Queue sarcasm._

The fucker just grinned even wider. "Sexy an' sassy! Darlin', where've ya been all my life?" he chuckled before his face went from playful to serious. "Now darlin', fine as ya look standin' in the middle of that river with yer clothes molded ta yer body, I wouldn't want'cha catchin' cold'er nothin'. Come on out or I'm'a commin' in ta get'cha," He threatened with a sly grin on his face.

Damn, that accent was panty dropping, and reminiscent of the feeling of silk being caressed over bare skin. I shivered involuntarily. _Mmm, delicious!_ _No, stupid, can't think of the unknown vampire like that._ I had to refrain from smacking my forehead with my palm. I seriously needed to get my head checked. I had never met this man – this vampire, and a human drinking vampire no less – before in my life, and here I was attracted to him. I was an idiot with complete lack of self preservation. Edward had definitely been on to something there.

I decided to put as much space between us as I could, so I slowly started backing out of the river keeping my eyes trained on him the whole time. Unfortunately, my plan was shot down due to my clumsy nature, and ended up falling back into the water with a splash. I heard the man laughing, and not just a little chuckle, a full out belly laugh.

"Well darlin', next time ya might wanna look where yer stepin'." He started forward at a human pace walking into the river extending his hand to me as he got nearer. "I'm Peter Whitlock, ma'am. And you are?" He looked down at me smirking.

"Bella Swan," I said, putting my hand into his. It was odd, his skin seemed warm to me and there was a pulse of energy that started as soon as our skin made contact. I felt almost dizzy for a moment.

He pulled me up from the water making sure that I had my balance. "Well now, Miss Bella, I'm honored ta make yer acquaintance," He greeted and bowed down to my hand, kissing the back of it. "Mmm, darlin', ya smell divine. Like freesia, lavender an' fresh rain," He grinned cheekily.

He helped me out of the river, all the while keeping a hold on my hand. The longer he held my hand the stronger the feeling of rightness. I felt whole, completely forgetting about anything other than the man in front of me.

After a couple of minutes I finally found my voice. "So, are you going to drink me now?" I asked him bluntly.

He laughed out then winked at me and assured me, "As appealing as ya smell, I'd never harm ya. It'd go against everythin' that I am." He stared at me right in the eye. I noticed that his eyes were still dark and seemed to be getting darker. "Ya may not know it yet, but yer mine, my mate, an' I'd give m'life protectin' ya, darlin'."

_Huh, I'm his am I? Who the hell does he think he is?_ "Ok buddy, I belong to no one but myself. I don't know who you think you are, but I'm through with the supernatural. I've had nothing but trouble since I fell into that world and I don't want to go back. Furthermore, I don't even know you so I find it hard to believe that I'm your so called mate," I ground out crossly. I stomped my foot for emphasis and finally got the sense to pull my hand away from him.

As soon as our contact was broken it felt like a black hole had sucked all of my happiness away. In its place was a strong pull that went directly to Peter. _Oh fanfuckingtastic, this can't be good._

He nodded his head like he understood what I was feeling. "Ya feel it, don't'cha darlin'? That'd be what I was a'talkin' 'bout. Yer _mine,_ an' that pull we feel is the proof. It'll only get stronger over time,"he said confidently with a smirk on his lips. He grabbed my hand again. As soon as the contact was made I felt the energy pulse and felt happy again.

My mind was a jumbled mess. I was trying to make sense of what he had told me but I was failing miserably. "I don't understand. And how can you just assume that I know all about your kind?"

"Ya know that certain vampires have gifts. Well mine's a gift'a knowledge. There're a few things that I know 'bout ya. First, yer already well informed'a our world," he stated with a smug ass grin lighting up his features. "Second, I know ya had a bad experience with another vampire. And third, as stubborn as ya are, this'll all sink in by the next time we meet. Trust me darlin', the pull of a mate won't go away and eventually you'll accept it." He grinned and continued, "Once ya do, you'll be ready for me as yer mate, an' darlin', I must say I'm lookin' forward to the day." He winked at me.

My brain took a few minutes to engage. It just kept running over what he told me, and damn it if he was not right, at least on the first two points. The last would remain to be seen. Fuck, if I had just give myself over to him. I had always thought Edward was my mate. All this new information threw me for a loop.

He had a cocky grin on his face as he assured me, "No, he wasn't yer mate. If he had been, he would'a had no problem turnin' ya. Matter of fact, he wouldn't'a been able ta resist."

I scowled at him and grumbled, "Would you just let me think this through on my own without butting in?" Damn vampire, I had to admit he was right and it was the same thing that I had thought the whole time I was with Edward. _Hold up, did he say when we meet again?_ "Wait, what do you mean, 'When we meet again'?"

"I knew ya were here an' I had ta see ya, but I wasn't plannin' on showin' myself. I wasn't 'bout ta let some mangy animal harm ya either." He grinned, but then his face took on a somber look. "I have ta get back ta m'brother, a'fore tomorr'a night."

It was then I remembered his introduction, 'Peter Whitlock.' I had been right, he was Jasper's brother. _Well damn!_ "Jasper?" I asked, trying to figured out what was going on. He looked at me surprise written all over his features. "Hmm, looks like I stumped the knowledge gifted vampire," I said with a smirk.

"Now, I didn't say that I was infallible. I don't choose what knowledge finds its way in my brain," he joked. "I would love ta know how ya know m'brother though."

I winked at him. "Now that's classified information, Peter," I said with fake seriousness.

"Now darlin', that's not playin' fair," he whined.

"Poor baby, would you like some cheese with that whine?" I teased him.

"I'll let it go fer now, 'cause I know you'll tell me one day, an' I can wait. I'd wait fer ya forever," he stated seriously, looking me in the eye. He had me beyond dazzled and I had never felt it this strong with Edward. It was new and frightening, but at the same time exciting and everything just seemed right with Peter. I did not know how to even feel about it. I just met him. I was not ready for anything, though, at this point. Besides, he was leaving. I started getting depressed at this thought and it felt like my heart was ready to disappear.

I was still deep in thought when suddenly his lips were pressed against mine. I could not seem to pull myself away from him. Even though my mind was screaming to me to push away from him, my body had its own agenda and was not listening; it was running on instinct alone. He pulled me closer to his body as he ran his tongue along the bottom of my lip seeking entrance. I opened my mouth allowing his intrusion and he readily deepened our kiss as I wrapped my arms around his neck, one hand pulling his hair. His hands roamed down my sides, finally coming down to cup my butt. As he lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, our tongues continued to fight for dominance. I could feel his harness as he ground his hips into my center. At that moment I wanted nothing more than for him to continue his ministrations on my body. He finally pulled away though, letting me catch my breath as he started kissing up and down my neck eliciting a moan of pleasure from me.

He groaned and pulled himself away from my neck. "Darlin', as much as I wanna claim ya an' take ya with me, now's not the time," he stated, trying to convince himself of that as much as he was trying to convince me. "Yer not ready yet, either. I know yer body may be, but yer mind needs ta catch up," he grinned.

I finally got a hold of myself as he gently set me back down on the ground. My knees were wobbly and I still had not fully regained my breath, so I just nodded to him in agreement.

"I need ta get'cha ta the road. Its startin' ta get dark an' now that yer horse went back home without'cha, they'll start a'searchin'."

He grabbed me up under the knee, pulling me up to run with me bridal style. It was different. Edward always ran with me on his back. I felt amazingly content in this stranger's arms as I snuggled further into his muscular chest letting his scent calm me further.

I had a lot to think about, but one thing was certain, even if my mind did not belong to him yet, my body certainly did. It was a fact that I could not deny. I could not fight something that was so essential to me. He was a vital part of me, even if we had just met. Funny how I use to think Edward was my soul mate. How wrong I had been. The problem was even though I knew this deep down, my mind was not ready to accept it. Peter had been absolutely right, I needed time to come to grasp with what was happening between us.

We were at the edge of the forest when Peter stopped and set me back on the ground. "They'll be here in just a few minutes," he said with a sad smile. I could feel traitorous tears starting to well up in my eyes. "Now, none'a that. It won't be long a'fore we're together, an' then you'll be ready fer me, fer us," he grinned and gave me one last kiss before disappearing into the forest. I could still feel him watching me though, making sure that they found me without any further incidents. I walked out into the road and started walking back to the ranch. It was only a few minutes before some riders came over the hill, with Miro being ponied behind.

Joe was the first to get to me he had a relieved expression on his face. "Bella, I'm glad to see your safe. When Miro came running in without you, we saddled right up and came to find you."

I nodded and explained what happened with the bobcat. "We were at the river where Char took Luke and me yesterday when a bobcat came running out of the forest chasing behind a deer. Miro spooked and I lost my balance. I shot a few rounds at the cat and it ran off," I explained.

Joe did not look surprised but seemed relieved that I was alright. "As long as you're not injured, that's all that matters. Are you well enough to ride back to the ranch?" He asked me while looking me over for any noticeable injuries.

"I'm fine, though I'm sure to be sore tomorrow," I grinned at him.

He smiled back at me. "Well, we best get back. Becky, Luke and Char are worried sick about you and are probably pacing a hole in the floor waiting," he grinned.

Once we made it back to the ranch Joe had one of the hands take Miro for me. I gave him a pat and went into the house ahead of Joe. When I entered the foyer Luke came running over to me, nearly knocking me on my ass.

"Bella, I was so worried! Are you alright? What happened? When Miro came back without you I thought for sure something happened to you. I was afraid I wouldn't see you again!" he said in a quick jumble. Tears were pooling up in his eyes threatening to spill out. I just hugged him. He had as many abandonment issues as I did and I could relate. He hugged me back fiercely, finally letting up when he realized I was not going anywhere. He had grown on me over the weeks. If Renee had given me a brother I would have hoped he would have been like Luke.

Becky and Char were standing in the entryway to the dining room taking in the scene before them. I smiled at both of them and Becky came over to give me a quick hug. "Thank heavens you're alright. We were beside ourselves with worry," she told me with a little huff. "How are you feeling dear?" she asked in the way only a mother can.

I smiled at her. "I'm fine. I fell in the river so I didn't get hurt at all, only my pride got a little brused," I joked.

She readily agreed with me. Finding a doctor around here would be extremely difficult as the closest one was thirty miles away in Redding. That was if he was even in the town. He made several long distance calls to patients and could not be counted on to be in town.

Char came over and hugged me as well. Of course, being twelve, she did not really understand what all the fuss was over, and brushed the whole incident off as if it never happened. I was glad one of them was. Between Luke, who was now hovering beside me, and Becky, who kept looking me over, I was glad someone was acting normal.

The rest of the evening was calm. Luke and I worked on his schooling with Char there to help. She had been taught by Becky and so was further ahead than Luke. He was a quick learner, though, and I knew before long would caught up to other children his age. I smiled thinking of the way he and Char would argue together. It seemed Becky was right, those two just seemed to fit together, I had a feeling that, given time, a relationship would develop between the two.

I excused myself from the normal nightly socializing so that I could go to bed early. I was exhausted both in mind and body from the events of the day. Luke gave me a hug before I made my way upstairs to my room. I made sure to clean up real well before getting under the covers, but once I was it did not take long before I was asleep.

That night I dreamt of Peter again. He seemed to be the star of all my dreams lately it was nice to put a name to the face. I had been thinking only of him since our impromptu meeting today.

When I finally opened my eyes and rolled over there was a letter with a rose sitting on top of the spare pillow. A jolt of excitement went through me. I immediately grabbed the letter. It was from Peter of course. The scoundrel must have snuck in my room during the night. I chuckled at the memories of when I learned of Edward's stalker tendencies. When he had done it, I had been pretty irritated, especially when he confessed that his main reason was to try and see what I was thinking, because I would sometimes talk out in my sleep.

_Now though…_ With Peter, it sent a thrill directly to my heart. "No, no, no! I can't do this to myself again," I whispered to myself. Deep down, the realization was there that I could deny all I wanted, but it would be a pointless gesture. For now though, I would fight the pull he had on me. After Joe and the boys had found me yesterday and we started riding away from where Peter was hiding, I could feel the pull getting stronger with each step that Miro took away from him. It was a physical discomfort, but, damnit, I could not do it now. "Ok, for now I'll just ignore it. I can at least do that," I tried to convince myself, but there was a little niggling sensation at the back of my neck. It would be useless, I knew. "But what else am I suppose to do?" I asked myself. _Oh great now I'm talking to myself._

Peter POV

I made it to California in record time, running north, up to Sacramento, and then towards a little town called Redding. I followed the pull. It was only a slight tugging sensation at the moment but I knew once I saw her it would become stronger. I just wanted to get a look at her. It would have to be enough until it was time for her to be turned.

I was runnin' through the forest and caught the most succulent scent. It was amazin' and smelt of freesia, lavender, and fresh rain. It should have made my throat scorch as if a fire burned down it, but it didn't illicit any reaction from the beast other than to claim whoever was on the other end.

It had to be her. My beast was growlin' in his cage, tryin' to get out so that he could claim his mate. The man in me refused to let him though. I was stronger than that and refused to let it happen yet. When the time was right he would have his chance, and what a glorious day that'd be.

I found her at the side of a river. She seemed to be enjoyin' herself in the water. God, her body was amazin' and I had to plant myself firmly in a tree to keep from runnin' down there to her.

I just sat there fantisizin' about her and all the wicked things that I would do to her later. When she left I followed at a safe distance, makin' sure not to spoke her horse. As the afternoon wore on she turned around and went back to the spot I first saw her. She walked the horse in the water and let him get a drink.

I could hear a predator in the distance stalkin' its prey. I smiled at the similarities of my current situation. I was definitely stalkin' my prey, but unlike the predator, I would allow mine to leave. It went against everythin' I was, but I could do it…at least, I kept repeating this in my head over and over, waiting for it to sink in.

Just then, the deer veered from his original path and the cat took chase. The damn deer came jumping out of the forest with the cat close behind. The horse spooked and ran. My mate lost her balance, fallin' into the water. She quickly got up, but the commotion had gotten the predators attention. _Oh, no you don't kitty, she's MINE!_

I didn't wait to see what would happen. There was no way in hell I was gonna let my mate get hurt when I was here and could prevent it. Consequences be damned! I snapped the cats neck before he could even take another step in her direction.

I looked at my mate so transfixed by her beauty that I completely forgot about the cat I was still holdin'. She was a goddess and she was MINE, the beast growled in satisfaction. I knew that she was familiar with my kind and had been through a bad experience with a stupid boy. I didn't know the how, when or why, but I did know the end result and what happened, so I wasn't afraid she would run from me.

As a matter of fact, she stood there as fierce as any Amazon warrior, still holdin' the pistol up while starin' at me. I started to smell faint traces of her body's reaction to me and it made me smug to know that I turned her on.

I couldn't resist teasing her a bit. "Well now darlin', sure looks like you got yourself in a bind," I observed casually.

"Y-yes, it certainly does appear that way," She answered with a slight stutter.

""Miss, I do believe ya can lower yer weapon now. I took care'a the big, bad pussy fer ya." I grinned at the double entendre and I knew she would catch my meanin'. What could I say? I was a horny fucker and I wasn't afraid to admit it. I knew it wouldn't take her long to figure that out, either.

She blushed, it was so damn sexy, I wanted to run over to her and throw her over my shoulder and steal her away. _No, Peter, ya can't do it, damn it!_ My voice of reason yelled out.

"Well aren't you just my vampire in shining armor?" She sassed back to me. It made me grin like a fool. God, she was a perfect match for me.

I couldn't help but play around with her a little. ""Sexy an' sassy! Darlin', where've ya been all my life?" I chuckled.

Then it dawned on me, she was a fragile human who could become ill sitting in freezing ass water with the sun goin down.

" Now darlin', fine as ya look standin' in the middle of that river with yer clothes molded ta yer body, I wouldn't want'cha catchin' cold'er nothin'. Come on out or I'm'a commin' in ta get'cha." If she didn't have the sense to get out of the water I would come in and get her. My beast nodded in agreement, at least it was one thing we could agree started backing away from me, only to end up back in the water. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well darlin', next time ya might wanna look where yer stepin'," I joked. I slowly walked towards her and introduced myself. "I'm Peter Whitlock Ma'am, and you are?"

"Bella Swan," she said as she put her little hand into my own and I lifted her outta the water. Soon as we made contact I could feel the physical bond start to form between us. It was the first sign for a vampire that they had found their mate. The bond would remain in place, just waitin' to be finalized by matin.

Once a vampire actually mated the bond would become stronger and they would be considered a mated pair for the rest of eternity. I kept a hold of her hand not wanting to let go, she was so incredibly warm and soft. The beast in me wanted to throw her on the ground, to claim her, and finish the bond and secure my mate.

"Well now, Miss Bella, I'm honored ta make yer acquaintance," I said, and bowed down, kissin' the back her hand. "Mmm, darlin', ya smell divine. Like freesia, lavender an' fresh rain," I grinned cheekily as I carefully helped her out of the water, making sure to keep hold of her hand so she didn't fall again.

"So, are you going to drink me now?" she asked bluntly. I had to keep in my chuckle. She sure was a fiery little thing.

I winked at her and smiled. "As appealin' as ya smell, I'd never harm ya. It'd go against everythin' that I am." I told her honestly "Ya may not know it yet, but yer mine, my mate, an' I'd give m'life protectin' ya, darlin'."

She scowled at me and stomped her foot. "Ok buddy, I belong to no one but myself. I don't know who you think you are, but I'm through with the supernatural. I've had nothing but trouble since I fell into that world and I don't want to go back." She said firmly as she pulled her hand away from me, stepping back a few feet.

I just nodded. I knew it would take time for her to come to terms with the situation. It wouldn't matter though. Once we had made contact it had started the bonding process and there was no way that she would be able to resist me now. Rather, there was no way that her body would be able to resist me. Even as a human, the physical bond would be pulling her to me, even if her mind didn't want to accept. I'll admit I was playin' dirty and wasn't about to explain it all yet. I'd let her get comfortable with the idea first.

I did however want to make damn certain that she acknowledged the bond for what it was. "Ya feel it, don't'cha darlin'? That'd be what I was a'talkin' 'bout. Yer _mine,_ an' that pull we feel is the proof. It'll only get stronger over time," I said as I grabbed her hand to further prove my point. It was like comin' home as soon as the contact was made and I felt more content than I'd ever been before.

She stood there thinking for a few minutes "I don't understand, and how can you just assume that I know all about your kind?" she asked.

This was really the easiest part to explain to her. "Ya know that certain vampires have gifts. Well mine's a gift'a knowledge. There're a few things that I know 'bout ya. First, yer already well informed'a our world," I said with a grin. "Second, I know ya had a bad experience with another vampire. And third, as stubborn as ya are, this'll all sink in by the next time we meet. Trust me darlin', the pull of a mate won't go away and eventually you'll accept it," I winked at her, thinkin' of just how much I was lookin' forward to bein' with her. "Once ya do, you'll be ready for me as yer mate, an' darlin', I must say I'm lookin' forward to the day," I winked at her.

At that moment I was hit with more knowledge about her past relationship with the idiot vampire who left her. She had thought he was her mate, and I had a feelin' that's what she was thinkin' about right now. "No, he wasn't yer mate. If he had been, he would'a had no problem turnin' ya. Matter of fact, he wouldn't'a been able ta resist," I assured her.

She scowled at me, it was a cute gesture. "Would you just let me think this through on my own, without butting in? Wait, what do you mean when we meet again?"

" I knew ya were here an' I had ta see ya, but I wasn't plannin' on showin' myself. I wasn't 'bout ta let some mangy animal harm ya either," I grinned, but then realized that I had precious little time left with her before I would have to leave to get back to camp 'fore Jasper had to leave. " I have ta get back ta m'brother, a'fore tomorr'a night," I explained.

She seemed to think for just a moment, the next word outta her mouth left me completely stunned. "Jasper?" she asked. She just grinned at me with a smug look when my face showed surprise. "Hmm, looks like I stumped the knowledge gifted vampire," she chuckled.

" Now, I didn't say that I was infallible. I don't choose what knowledge finds its way in my brain," I huffed out, I hated not knowing information. " I would love ta know how ya know m'brother though."

She just winked at me, obviously enjoying my confusion. "Now that's classified information Peter."

Well fine, if she wants ta play like that I'll let her have this one. I did know I would get my answer soon enough. "Now darlin', that's not playin' fair," I whined, goin' along with her game.

"Poor baby, would you like some cheese with that whine?" she teased.

_No, but I would love to have you with anythin',_ I thought to myself. " I'll let it go fer now, 'cause I know you'll tell me one day, an' I can wait. I'd wait fer ya forever," I stated seriously, looking her in the eye. Her heart started beating wildly in her chest and her breathing sped up. I could see her pupils dilate. I was suddenly hit with the sweetest smell that I've ever come across. She was aroused and, damn, did I want her. I couldn't help myself, my beast took over.

Before I could stop and think things through, I pressed my lips against hers. She was amazing and it took every single bit of control not to claim her right then and there. I ran my tongue along the bottom of her lip asking permission to deepen our kiss. She opened her mouth allowing me entrance. She tasted ten times better than her smell. I could feel my cock twitch in anticipation. She wrapped her arms around my neck, one hand pulling at my hair. God, she was incredible. I was so damn hard it hurt and I didn't know if I could stop myself. I let my hands roam down her sides grabbing her amazingly tight ass, pulling her up close to me so that I could grind my hips into her core, feeling the heat and wetness that awaited me.

_No, can't do this now_! It was too soon, damn it. I wrenched myself away from her lips, kissing up and down the side of her neck, tryin' to get the beast back under control. I was finally managing when she let out a little moan. It was almost my undoing.

I groaned and pulled myself away from her neck. "Darlin', as much as I want to claim ya an' take ya with me, now's not the time," I stated trying to convince myself. "Yer not ready yet, either. I know yer body may be, but yer mind needs ta catch up." I grinned, trying to be ok with it, but knowing full well that it would seem like an eternity before we were together again. I finally got a hold of myself and set her down. " I need ta get'cha ta the road. Its startin' ta get dark an' now that yer horse went back home without'cha, they'll start a'searchin'," I explained.

I picked her up bridal style, just enjoyin' the close contact with my Bella while runnin' her to the road to wait for her would be rescuers. When we arrived I gently set her down and let her know they would be just a few minutes. I smiled sadly, knowin' that we would be apart again a'fore long.

"They'll be here in just a few minutes," I told her. She didn't look any happier to be leaving me than I was to see her go. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. "Hey now, none'a that," I told her as I gently wiped away the first teardrop. "It won't be long a'fore we're together, an' then you'll be ready fer me, fer us," I reassured her, even though I knew it would be tough.

I turned at vampire speed and left her there to wait, knowin' the riders were just over the hill. I climbed up one of the trees to keep an eye on her. She left with the riders, getting' back on the horse she was ridin' earlier and started back toward the ranch.

I made my way back to the cat I'd killed so's to dispose of the remains. It wouldn't be good for them to come across it, so I took the dead beast and moved him further into the woods. Other predators could make use of him. _Waste not, want not, as my Mama always said._

After I finished with the cat I made my way to the ranch, keepin' to the forest out of view. I stayed there the rest of the night, watchin' for my Bella through the windows and listenin' to her throughout the evenin'. After she made her way to bed I went ta the garden and picked a rose for her, then snuck into her room. I spent the rest of my time watchin' her sleep. She looked like an angel. I wish I could'a been human just then, to be able to sleep with her and hold her through the night. It wasn't long 'fore I had to leave, so I wrote her a note, placin' it on the pillow beside her along with the rose.

I gently kissed her forehead and caressed her cheek, whisperin' in her ear, "You'll be mine Sugar, an' I'll love ya 'til the end'a time," a'fore jumpin' out the window to go back ta Jasper.

The pullin' in my chest got worse with every step I took away from my Angel. She was my heart and soul now and my body knew it, my beast was fighten' hard to go back and whisk her away with me. The whole run back was like torture. I hoped that it wouldn't be so bad for her, seein' as she's still human. The bond would affect her, but not near as much as if she'd been a vampire already.

The only way I was gonna survive bein' away from her was ta keep remindin' myself that she'd soon be mine, mind, body and soul. I could wait it out but kept hope that the future would change, and she would come to me sooner. I knew, however, that this was just wishful thinkin' on my part.

I made it back to camp, with Jasper waitin' for me at my tent. Shit, he would smell her on me. When I was close enough he raised an eyebrow at me.

"An' what've ya been up ta, Captain?" he asked with a critical look on his face.

_Shit_.

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_All Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated._

_**AN: **I'm looking for a Beta if anyone is interested, please pm me._


	12. Moving On

_**All characters belong to SM except for Luke.**_

_**AN: **__Wow you guys are amazing; I had more comments on the last chapter than on any other. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside! :D_

_There weren't any questions so on to the story and I hope you all enjoy!_

_I'm so very sorry on how long this chapter took please accept my apologies' there's really no excuse aside from being bogged down with work and school._

_If you enjoyed the chapter you have both __**karigrace**__ and __**vikinglass25**__ to thank they did an amazing job fixing my errors…..lol Thank you both so much your awesome!_

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_Chapter 12  
_

_**Moving On**  
_

Peter POV

_I made it back to camp with Jasper waitin' for me at my tent. Shit! He would smell her on me._

_When I was close enough he raised an eyebrow at me, "And what have you been up to captain?"_

_Shit._

"Well ya know Major, same ol' same ol'. Just trackin' down gorgeous women and winnin' 'em over with my charmin' personality and good looks," I smirked at him.

"Peter, you are the world's biggest pain in the ass ya know that?" he asked with an exasperated look.

I couldn't help the shit eatin' grin that crossed my face. "Well there's worse places to be a pain I suppose," I winked at him.

He let out a low growl. "Ya know what? It don't matter. I sure hope she was worth it, 'cause Maria came back and found ya gone, and I had ta cover for your mangy ass. It's a good thing you're my brother, and gifted or you would'a been ash long ago," he snarled out at me, obviously not happy with my sarcasm. "I told her that I sent ya scoutin' if she asks. We'll be leavin' ahead of schedule since she finished her business early. Make sure we don't lose any of the remainin' newborns. I caught a few of Diego's newborns scoutin' the area; I think he's planin' on an attack. Have ya felt anything with yer gift?"

Diego was a relatively young vampire at only a hundred years old. He had been wantin' Maria's territory for quite some time, but didn't have the balls to try for it. He knew full well the training our _newborns_ received, and between Jasper and I he would be a complete idiot to try. It seemed he was getting' tired of waitin' for the right time though, because there was no way he would be able to, even with our diminished troops we had the best trained newborns around. Unless of course he had found himself a gifted newborn, although unlikely, it would have to be a very impressive gift for him ta even consider goin' against us.

I let myself just absorb any information that may be comin' my way, but so far there was nothin' to indicate he would be tryin' an attack. "No, I haven't gotten anythin' on him, even now when I opened myself up for anythin' to come, there's nothin'."

Jasper just frowned, "It doesn't make sense; I trust your gift, but unless he's plannin' an attack why send scouts?" He asked aloud.

"Did ya get any information out of them 'fore burnin' 'em?"

"No, I figured it was just a regular scoutin' party."

"Maybe we should take 'em out before he can cause any trouble. It's always possible that he found someone who can block my gift."

Jasper just stood there thinking for a moment before deciding, "we may just have to do that. In the mean time we'll be turnin' more and workin' on trainin' them. There's still about four good months left for the ones ya took huntin' with you so next time before we cull, I'm gonna restock so we aren't left open. Chances are if he is plannin' on somethin' it will still be a few months away." He seemed to think a little more, "Once I get back, I think it would be a good idea for you to go scoutin' and see what he's up to."

I just nodded to him in acceptance. I was the best one for scoutin' missions, because my gift let me know ahead of time how to avoid my enemies. "Sounds good Major"

He gave me a tight nod and quickly turned away to go find the bitch so they could get goin'. Maria may be in charge, but Jasper ran the show, he just let her think that she had control because it suited him. I knew he hated this life as much as I did but he was still in denial that there was somethin' better out there for him. He thought that he didn't deserve anythin' better after what he has done since he was changed. Of course I knew better, and it wouldn't be too long before he realized it too. Then we could get out'a this hell hole for good.

I went into my tent to be alone for a while before I had to take the remaining newborns and spar with them. It was always best to keep them occupied, and keeping them prepared to fight was beneficial to everyone. They were all pretty decent, to have lasted this long they had to be. The weak ones were ripped apart within a few days of waking to this life. Only the strongest survived, if they were ripped apart then they burned, we had to have the best. If they fell durin' battle they were destroyed later. It was far easier turnin' a human later than lookin' for the parts to reattach, unless they were exceptionally gifted then they might be spared. I didn't like it, but it was a fact of life here, and necessary to preserve my own life and Jaspers.

Bella POV

I grabbed the letter and the rose from the pillow to examine them; the rose was white with blush tips and smelled amazing, brining a smile to my face as I thought of Peter. I set it aside on the table deciding to find a small cup to put it in later. I grabbed the letter excited to see what he wrote.

My Dearest Bella,

I'm sorry that I had to leave you during the night, but Jasper was expecting me back and I'm going to be late as is. I just wanted to let you know I'll be thinking of you and waiting impatiently for you.

Please come to me soon. You hold my heart, forever yours,

Peter

Come to him? Come to him where? He didn't exactly draw me a map, damn vampire. He reminded me of Alice and her cryptic 'I can see the future' bullshit. Although helpful, it was incredibly frustrating for everyone around them.

I pulled myself out of bed, carefully folded the letter and put it into the compartment that held my money. I got dressed and made my way down the stairs. It was already late morning and I guessed that everyone else had eaten breakfast and were long gone.

I found Becky outside the kitchen hanging freshly laundered clothes on the clothes line to dry, so I walked out to see if she could use any help around the house today. I wanted to keep as busy as possible so that I wouldn't think about peter; I wasn't ready to open that can of worms yet.

Becky must have heard my approach because she turned and gave me a beautiful smile, "Well good morning Bella. I hope you're well rested from all the excitement of yesterday."

I grinned, if she only knew the half of it, "Yes, I slept very well thank you."

She nodded in understanding, "Well, I saved you some breakfast; it's sitting in the oven waiting for you. It should still be warm, if not just let me know and I'll heat it up for you."

"Thank you Becky, I'm famished"

She grinned and made a little shooing motion for me to go get breakfast before turning back to her work. I found the dish in the oven just like she said it would be. As soon as the door was opened I was hit with the delicious scent of bacon and pancakes, and my stomach let out a loud rumble in anticipation.

I was halfway through eating when Becky made her way into the dining room and sat down in the chair across from me. "This is wonderful! Thank you for saving me some," I mumbled out around a bite.

She just chuckled, "you're quite welcome. I figured you'd sleep late so I made this after everyone finished up so that it would be fresh for you." She smiled, "So what are your plans for today?"

"Honestly I'm extremely sore; I was just going to see if you needed any help around the house."

She had a slight grimace on her face; apparently she understood where I was coming from. "I've had days like those," She chuckled. "I remember when I first came out here with Joe, I'd never rode a horse in my life and all of a sudden it was part of my daily routine. I probably soaked in a tub every night for the first month of being here on the ranch." She seemed to be lost in her memories. "Joe understood, but he still expected me to be out there helping out. I was never as relieved as when he hired a few hands to help him. I started spending more time in the house, only needing to help out when someone quit or was let go. Sometimes I miss being out with the horses, but I don't miss sore muscles." She laughed and seemed to pull herself back to the present reaching her hand over patting me reassuringly. "Don't worry dear it will get better over time. Now as far as helping me out today, I really don't have much to do, some of the men have wives and they come help me a few times during the week so it really doesn't leave me with much extra as far as house work goes. You just rest for today and go outside enjoy the weather, it won't be long before it starts getting cold and you'll be stuck indoors."

I finished my breakfast and put the silverware on the plate pushing out further in front of me so that I could rest my arms on the table. "So what are Luke and Char up to today?"

"Well Joe took some of the men out to look for the cat that attacked you; we can't have them trying to get an easy meal of the foals. So he has Char and Luke doing a few chores around the ranch. Last I saw of them they were high tailing it out around the fence line looking for any weak areas that are in need of repair."

"Those two are going to be troublemakers I think," I laughed. It was nice that Luke was getting along so well with Char, it made my heart warm up just thinking about the two of them together.

"I think your right," She chuckled. "Well you go on then, I'll take care of this and come get you for lunch."

I spent the rest of the day just enjoying the weather. It reminded me of forks, but with less rain, and clouds.

Becky, true to her word, came and retrieved me for lunch. After lunch I groomed Miro and just spent some time with him. He was an amazing stress reliever and before long I found that my stress had melted away. The rest of the night passed in a blur, but as soon as I was in bed I just lay there thinking about Peter. As hard as I tried I wasn't able to keep my mind from wandering to him all day long. Then on top of that there was the pulling sensation I felt attached to my heart that seemed to get stronger as the day went by. In that moment I decided to considerably cut my time here, I knew that it would upset Luke and I had no Idea how I would handle his disappointment. Originally I told him that we would be here at least for several weeks if not longer. I hoped that he wouldn't be too upset with me but knew that it was unlikely.

I woke up feeling much better than yesterday, at least mentally. My muscles however protested painfully and seemed to feel worse.

I walked into the dining room right as Becky was bringing in the last plates, so I went and sat down next to Luke. He grinned to me and seemed to be buzzing with excitement. He appeared so much younger now than he had when I'd first met him as if all his worries melted several years off the young man I'd first met. He was also starting to put some much needed weight on, no longer looking like he was starving. I smiled back to him in return. "Luke when breakfast is over I need to speak with you."

His grin faltered slightly and he just nodded to me instead of answering. If this was any indication, I knew our talk wouldn't go over well.

Joe was the last one in, making his way over to his normal seat at the head of the table.

Breakfast was over much sooner than I would have liked but I knew I couldn't avoid it and I needed to speak to Joe. "Joe, if you don't mind could we speak privately."

"Sure Bella, we can go into my study to speak." He stood up from the table motioning for me to go ahead of him.

I turned back to Luke "Why don't you help Char and Becky clean up while I'm speaking to Joe. We should be finished by the time you're done so just come to the study."

"Alright Bella," he agreed and stood to help.

I made my way to the study with Joe following closely behind, closing the door once he entered behind me, and making his way to the desk sitting down behind it. "What can I do for you Bella?" He asked curiously.

I wasn't sure where to start so I just jumped in "I need to leave much sooner than I'd originally planned and I just wanted to settle my bill with you and see if you would help me secure transport for the horses. I'm really not sure how to go about doing that, and we'll need to purchase tack and supplies at the store in town, I was hoping that I could persuade you to accompany us."

He sighed, "To be honest with you Bella I was hoping that you and Luke would stay for a while longer; but I understand and it would be my pleasure to accompany you both." He smiled, "I also have a proposition for you to consider." He hesitated for a brief moment, "I'm just going to come out and say it, I really like Luke and I know Char does too. Now I know that she's only twelve, but I can see a connection between the two of them, and it's the same one I have with her mother. I know Luke doesn't see her as anything more than a friend now, but I have a feeling about those two, and I'm rarely wrong about these things." I could see a smile start at the corner of his lips, "I was hoping that you would agree to send Luke back here once you get settled in El Paso. I really like the boy, and he's at an age where he needs a man to look up to. No offence to you Bella, but a boy needs a male influence while growing up." I just nodded dumbfounded and unable to come up with a response as he continued. "If things progress like I think they will with Char and Luke, I want him to be able to take over the ranch someday, I know Char will be more than qualified, but she needs a man to help her."

He seemed to be finished. "That is a generous offer Joe, and I do appreciate it, but I'll have to speak with Luke. He may be my brother and a minor, but it's his life and ultimately his decision." He nodded in agreement.

There was a slight nock at the door announcing Luke's arrival I nodded to Joe to let him know that I was ready to speak to Luke now. Joe called out for him to enter. He did so looking like someone just kicked his puppy, not making eye contact and dragging his feet.

"Luke," He looked up to me. "Joe and I were just speaking about him helping us arrange transport for Fuego and Miro. I've decided to leave earlier than planned." He pouted and I could see tears start to form in the corners of his eyes. "Joe has made a very generous offer and I want to know how you feel about it." He immediately seemed to brighten up. "We are still going to leave, but once we are settled in El Paso, he asked if you would want to come back here to stay, and learn how to run the ranch."

Luke seemed stunned with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging slightly open. He slowly turned looking at Joe in disbelief. "You mean it?"

Joe chuckled, "Of course I do, I wouldn't have offered if I hadn't." He smiled warmly at the boy. "Luke, in the short time you and your sister have been here, I've grown quite fond of you. I think you would enjoy learning about the ranch, and how to train horses. You're such a natural with the horses it would be a waste of talent if you didn't. Of course you'd be able to visit your sister any time you wanted, and I know Char would love it if you came back to stay with us.

Luke was smiling from ear to ear and seemed to be vibrating from within his body. "Yes! I'd love to come back and stay with you." He turned to me quickly looking for permission, "if it's alright with Bella, of course."

I smiled at him reassuringly, "of course Luke if that's what you want; I think it's a wonderful opportunity for you. Once we get settled in El Paso, you can take the private car back here. It should only take us about a month before you can come back."

He nodded enthusiastically turning to Joe. "Sir, will Fuego be able to travel there and back without any problems?"

Joe smiled at him, "He should be fine," he reassured him. Then turned to me, "So Bella when would you like to leave?"

"Tomorrow, if it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for you. I figured we would stay the night and then leave the following day," I stated trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"That wouldn't be a problem; I'll just have my men look after the ranch for me while I'm away. Figure on heading out around six, that way we make it into town in time for arrangements to be made for the horses."

I nodded in agreement, "How much do I owe you?"

"Well let's see here six hundred for the horses and then say twenty for your room and board, so an even six-fifty and that will cover all the costs for me to travel and make arrangements for you in town."

"Sounds fine to me, let me just go get you the money."

"Sure, I'll just wait here for you." He gave a reassuring smile.

I stood up leaving the study making my way to my room to fetch the money that I owed him. It only took me a few minutes before I went back into the study, money in hand. When I entered, Luke and Joe seemed to be deep in discussion so I sat down to let them finish, handing Joe the money once they had.

He stood up from the desk placing the money in a safe that he had hidden behind some books on the book shelf. "Well, I guess I'll be heading out to get some work done," he smiled. "If you need anything just ask Becky," he said before we walked out of the office. He started to the front door, while Luke and I just stood there watching him leave.

I turned to Luke and motioned him to follow me, "Come on, I want to talk to you for a minute."

He followed behind me into the sitting room and went to sit on the rocking chair beside me. "Luke, I just wanted to make sure that coming back here is something you really want to do." I smiled reassuringly at him, "You can stay with me for as long as you like, I enjoy having you for company and I'm going to miss you like crazy."

He smiled, "yes, I really do want to come back here, I love it on the ranch and I love the horses. I want to learn from Joe."

"As long as it's what you want. Now I just want to let you know the plans for the rest of our trip. We'll be going straight to El Paso. Once there I'm going to purchase a house and stay there. Once everything is set up I'll send you back here on the train, and you keep it here; that way if you need to travel you have it at your disposal. Also, that way there's no excuse for you not coming to visit me once in a while," I joked with him.

He was grinning from ear to ear, "Bella, you're like the sister I never had." He pulled me into a quick hug.

"I feel the same way about you Luke." I hugged him back tightly. It would be really hard when he left me; I'd gotten really close to him in our short time together. Luke seemed to have a way of wrapping people around his fingers. "Alright well why don't you go let Char know what's going on. I'm sure she'll be sad to see you leave, but once you tell her you're coming back, well, I bet she's going to be thrilled."

He nodded enthusiastically smiling and then turned to go out of the sitting room. I stayed there for the rest of the morning reading and listening to the different birds singing just outside the window. The time flew by and it was lunch before I realized it, I got up wondering where the time had gone to.

Lunch was a quick sandwich. Apparently Char, Luke and Joe had taken lunch with them, and so it was only Becky and I here at the house. There was no point in cooking a meal with us being the only ones here to eat. The rest of the day passed quickly, I spent it in my room reading. It was funny how in my past life I would spend days on end reading, and here I had barely had the chance.

Dinner was interesting; Char and Luke regaled us with all the events that happened to them during the day. Apparently they had found some mischief to get into, by pulling pranks on the ranch hands. Joe was trying his best to be disapproving of their activities, but was too caught up in their stories to not find them humorous.

After dinner we went into the sitting room and we spent our last night here just enjoying each other's company.

We left on time in the morning after saying goodbye to both Becky and Char. Luke seemed to be doing pretty well considering, but he did know he would be returning before long, so he seemed to be coping fairly well.

The horses had been prepared ahead of time. Luke and I would be riding while Joe drove the wagon so that he could transport our trunks for us there and then bring the saddles back on his return trip.

It was a really long ride and took most of the day. It had been a pretty uneventful trip but I was never so happy to reach town as I was at that minute. It really put cars and planes into perspective, and I was severely missing my truck. One thing about traveling by horseback was everything was so quiet and relaxed before long I found myself relaxing to the gentle thud of Miro's hooves meeting the hard ground.

Once in town, we went directly to the train depot to talk to the porter about securing a livestock car for the horses and putting it one car ahead of the private car so that we could easily check on them. It didn't take long before all the arrangements were made. We would be leaving the following day eight A.M. sharp so Luke and I decided to sleep in the car, there was no sense in staying at the hotel.

Joe helped the porter put our trunks back in the car, and then we went to the livery stable to put the horses up for the night. We also made arrangements for the stable boy to bring Fuego and Miro to the train depot in the morning where we would meet him and get them settled into the livestock car. After making all of the necessary arrangements we finally made our way to the general store where we bought saddles for the horses along with bridles and grain. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, and a shiver went up my spine. I was ready to get moving again.

We went to the only diner in town to have dinner with Joe. It reminded me of Nellie Olsen's restaurant from little house on the prairie and that thought brought a faint smile to my face as I reminisced about watching that show growing up. Thinking about how simple life was then, filled with hardships that we no longer faced in the modern age, but at the same time I was now experiencing it. You would grow up and learn a trade, have a family, grow old with your spouse and live as peaceful a life as you could manage. Never in a million years, even after learning of the existence of mythical creatures, would I have thought that I would be sitting in the past.

We finished our meals and parted ways for the evening, Joe stayed at the small hotel nearby while Luke and I went back to the car. We spent the evening working on spelling and writing. He was doing phenomenally, his mind was like a sponge once he learned it he had no trouble. I wish that I had as easy a time in school. He had a voracious appetite for knowledge which made me extremely happy. I knew before long we would be parting ways and I could now be confident that he would be able to take care of himself. Knowledge is power and he now held the keys to his future, and would be able to open doors that had previously been closed to him. He had picked up pride and prejudice and stated reading it, but before long handed it back muttering about love stories being for women and he wanted something with action. I just laughed and sorted through the books I'd purchased earlier. I figured he would want something geared more in the action department so had purchased a few for him, one of them being _Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea_ by Jules Verne. He took the book flipping through the pages making sure it was to his satisfaction, before thanking me and heading to his bedroom for the night.

I read for a while longer before making my way to my own room and lying down for the night. I was up for hours just laying there trying to find sleep. I was too excited though, wide away and only falling asleep mere hours before I had to get up again.

I awoke to the sound of knocking on my door, "Bella come on we need to meet John so we can get the horses settled in."

I just let out a sigh, not ready to get up after my restless sleep, "I'll be out in a few minutes, why don't you go meet Joe and I'll come find you."

He was silent for a moment before finally making up his mind, "Alright, but if you're not there in fifteen minutes I'm coming back to drag you out whether you're ready or not."

"Just you try it Luke, you'll be in a world of pain if you do," I groused back at him. The boy was entirely to chipper in the morning. I heard him laughing while walking away from my room and then heard the door to the car open. I drug myself out of bed and managed to get dressed and ready for the day even if I felt like a zombie, finally making my way outside.

One of the porters, I think his name was Bill or maybe Will, was walking over toward the car. "Mornin' Miss, I was just coming to let you know that we're hitching your car up to the train. Joe already had us get the stock car ready for your horses so when they arrive, go ahead and load them on the car."

"Thank you," I said politely. He nodded to me and turned back to the train depot. I followed him keeping an eye out for Luke and Joe, caching sight of them before long. They were standing to the side of the train with the stable boy, and Joe was getting ready to load Miro onto the stock car. Miro did not look like a happy camper and was trying his best to avoid having to walk up the wooden ramp. It took a few more tries but he finally gave in and hoped up the ramp, and walked into the car.

Joe emerged a few minutes later and took the taking Fuego's lead from Luke. The horse snorted and pawed at the ramp refusing to follow him into the car. Finally, Joe gave the lead to Luke and had him try. Fuego had either decided it was in his best interest to follow or was tired of fighting. He jumped onto the ramp nearly running Luke over in the process and proceeded to make his way inside the car without further fuss.

I followed behind wanting to see the inside of the car. It was surprisingly roomy and there were two temporary stalls made out what looked like 2x4s for each horse and allowed enough room for them to walk in a small circle and lay down if they so desired. There was also a door that could be opened that would lead to our car once it was attached behind that way we could easily check on the horses even while the train was moving.

Miro was busy eating hay that Joe had thrown in to him while Luke was getting Fuego situated in his stall. He was much calmer than I had expected after his demonstration outside. I saw that all of the tack had already been delivered and was situated at the far end of the car beside bales of hay and grain, so at least we didn't have to worry about that. So far it looked like everything was falling into place nicely and would be ready to go on schedule.

Luke ducked under Fuego's stall and we all made our way back down the ramp. One of the workers removed the ramp and then slid the door shut and bolted it so that it couldn't be easily opened while moving. The train was pretty much ready to depart; only my car remained to be hooked up to the train. We followed Joe back to the station and said our goodbyes. He wanted to get back to the ranch before nightfall and needed to get going.

Luke and I turned and went to the platform to wait for the men to hook our car up so that we could wait comfortably inside. It was still an hour before the train was scheduled to depart the station. We sat there for nearly thirty minutes before the porter came to let us know that it was hooked up and we could get on board. We only had to wait another thirty minutes, but the time seemed to drag by and nothing was able to keep my attention for very long. Luke was happily sitting on the sofa immersed in his book, with a small grin; he was obviously content to wait. I started tapping my foot and then I got up to pace in the little room available.

Luke started laughing, "Bella calm down, we'll be leaving soon."

I just glared at him, completely ignoring his comment. Apparently he got the message because he didn't say anything more to me, going back to his book. Finally, I heard the train whistle blow and the slight tugging sensation of the train pulling away from the station. It brought a smile to my face and I was finally able to sit down and relax for a while.

Our next stop wouldn't be for a few hours. Luke and I planned on getting lunch at the there as the porter told us about a nice little restaurant which was apparently well known for their food. It reminded me of when I would travel to see Charlie during the summer. We would always find interesting places to visit or restaurants to eat at. I had always enjoyed traveling and liked seeing new things, it was always an adventure. Charlie may have always been a very quiet man, but he did enjoy seeing new places, and if there was a spot to fish it was even better.

I wanted to sight see a little before meeting Peter, but now I was just counting down the days until I would see him again. By my calculations it would take about eight days for Luke and me to arrive in El Paso. I couldn't wait to be back in the desert! I really had missed Phoenix and though El Paso was further east it was still very similar to where I grew up. Renee had always enjoyed the sun and dry heat of the desert and even though Forks had grown on me I still missed it dearly.

I spent the next hour reminiscing about my childhood and what the possibilities of my future would be. There were many things that had become obvious to me, the main one being that I couldn't live without thinking of Peter, which meant that even if I had originally wanted to forget about the supernatural, it wasn't going to happen. The second realization being that I wanted Peter. Sometime between the time that I had met him and now I had come to the realization that the mating pull would not be denied and it was what it was unavoidable. The thing was, at this point I didn't want to avoid it any longer, I wanted to see him again, and it was a burning ache in my chest.

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_A huge thank you to everyone who has commented and added this story to their favorites you guys are amazing!_


	13. El Paso

All characters are owned by SM! :)

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Chapter 13

**El Paso**

Bella

We were several hours out from El Paso when I started thinking over the past two weeks. We had arrived in Los Angeles just six days after leaving Oregon, and no worse for wear. It had been a fairly uneventful trip, although Luke might disagree with me. Fuego had taken it upon himself to relieve the livestock car of some boards and created his very own window to look out of in. Apparently, while he has many desirable traits, there are also some not so desirable traits mixed in, as we found out on our trip. So far, we can add kicking the stall wall, weaving, cribbing and nipping to his list of undesirable traits. He is a perfect angel for Luke and the devil reincarnate for anyone else, including myself. The train porter and the engineer were not happy campers after the incident, and wanted extra money to cover the damages of course. They also wanted to get the hole fixed as soon as possible, as he had ended up kicking out three boards and loosening several more, much to their chagrin. Personally, I figured if the quality was so poor that a horse could do that to a car built for livestock transport then they deserved to have to replace it. Miro, on the other hand, was a saint the whole trip and handled it like a pro, with no issues. Thank god, one nutcase was more than plenty.

After the "Incident", as I now refer to it, Luke spent the majority of his time out with the horses keeping them company and taking care of them. Luckily, this seemed to keep Fuego happy as he did not create another window in the side of the car. For me, most of the trip was spent reading, thinking, and just generally being bored. At times I simply slept to pass the time by more quickly. In addition to my solitary activities, Luke and I spent some time working on his studies as well. He would have been a star pupil in any school. He had a thirst for knowledge and a natural curiosity that lent itself well to gathering and retaining information.

Thankfully, we also had many stops along the way to pick up and drop off passengers. We used this time to eat at the closest diner. Even the smallest towns thankfully had a diner or two for the passengers to take advantage of. The biggest problem was that most of the towns did not have any bathing facilities and so I am yet again feeling rather disgusting given that I have not had a decent bath since leaving Oregon.

Our arrival in Los Angeles was a little bit of a letdown for me. I had been extremely excited to visit but upon our arrival it again hit me that this was a different time. Things that I had once associated with Hollywood and Los Angeles did not exist and this city was still what was considered the wild and untamed West. The highlight was that the hotel that we stayed in was very "Modern" and thankfully had a full bath that I put to immediate use. Luke was of course more concerned with the horses than anything else and we had to make sure that the hotel had appropriate facilities for them before Luke would even think about himself. I had always had an appreciation for horses, but this boy was what I would call a horse fanatic. He even went so far as to tell the hotel stable that he would be the one to take care of them himself, not trusting their care to strangers. Joe would be proud of the attention he was paying to the horses and I was sure that once he made it back their ranch, he would be right at home with them.

We stayed several days taking the horses out each morning exploring the city and letting them get some exercise. There were several parks in the area that had hack paths for horses. They were quite refreshing with giant palm trees everywhere and the weather was gorgeous. I noticed that there were many more bicycles in the city and occasionally I would see a car or at least the beginnings of a car, some of them were outrageously funny. I can now understand why people thought that they would never be able to overtake horses, but I knew that in the next twenty to thirty years horses would become fewer and fewer while cars would become the main mode of transport. While there, Luke and I went to see a movie at the theater. He was so excited I enjoyed watching his reaction to it much more then the film itself. On the other hand, it was also amazing being part of history and to have the knowledge of what movies will be like in the future.

We ended up staying for four days, which was a day longer than previously planned, in order to give the horses, mainly Fuego, a chance to calm down before continuing on to El Paso. The trip from Los Angeles to El Paso was even more sedated then the first. On this leg of our travels, Fuego was much better behaved. This time around Luke spent almost all of his time with the horses, except when we would go eat or if I could get him to come in for a short study session. I spent much more time sleeping just to make the miles go faster and apparently it worked because this trip seemed much shorter. Of course it could be that it was actually shorter, by nearly two days. We would be arriving into El Paso in just a couple hours and I was that much closer to Peter. The pain I had originally felt had dwindled with each passing mile of the train. I suspected that he would not be very far from me once I was in Texas. The pulling sensation seemed to agree with me, as it was just discernable now rather than the sever ache that once resided in my heart.

A door banged shut pulling me out of my meandering thoughts. Luke knew how deep in thought I could get and found it endlessly amusing to startle me out of it. The imp walked in sporting a grin with laughter alight in his eyes.

"You're just too easy," he said grinning madly as he fell into his seat across from me.

I just rolled my eyes. I could not exactly disagree with him as he was right after all.

"So what had you so deep in thought this time?" he asked, seeming to be genuinely interested with my thoughts.

"I was just thinking about what we need to do once we get into El Paso," I explained. He nodded in agreement as I continued listing off all the necessary steps on my fingers. "First we should get the horses situated. I'm sure they are more than ready to be off this train. We can stay in the car a few days if needed, of course that's dependent on accommodations here. I would much rather stay in a hotel if there is one." He nodded in agreement, "I'll also need to look for some land, hopefully something with a house already on it and also a barn for the horses."

"Sounds like it's going to be a really busy couple of days."

"Yes, it is but I'm sure we will manage. Once we arrive into town I'm going to need you to take care of the horses for me, and get them saddled and ready. I want to find the land office and see if there are any established ranches or at least houses with a decent amount of land. I would really rather not have to build one from the ground up. It's still early so offices should still be open."

He nodded his head, "Sure, I would like to ride around town a little bit too, so Fuego and Miro can stretch their legs."

"That would be fine by me. We need to learn the area, and that's as good a way as any."

"Ok, well I'm going to head back with the horses. Fuego is starting to get worse; it's a good thing we are almost there." He pulled himself up from the couch and made his way to the back of the car where it connected to the livestock car. Judging by the time, we only were about another hour away, at least from what the porter told us at the last stop in Arizona. According to him it was only about a five hour trip from that town to El Paso, barring nothing went wrong, and so far we seemed to be on schedule.

I could see the small city in the distance so I went back to tell Luke to start readying the horses. I did not want to waste any time. Traveling was wearying me as was staying in hotels and this car. Despite its luxury, I wanted more space.

It only took another fifteen minutes for us to start slowing down as we just reached the outskirts of the city, the train whistle blow signifying that we were pulling up to the station. I waited impatiently for it to come to a stop and for the porter to come let us know that it was now safe to get off. I needed to talk to him about storage for the car, and my plans for the next several days.

I was sitting in one of the chairs tapping my foot impatiently against the floor when the porter finally arrived. I quickly made my way over to the door opening it for him and motioned for him to come in.

"No ma'am, I'm afraid that I don't have time. We are short one porter so I need to get back to the passenger cars," he answered hurriedly while pointing back toward the front of the train.

"I understand, but could you please stay for just a moment, I have a few questions for you." I batted my lashes at the young man and smiled coyly, men in this time were suckers for that sort of thing. They still had a strong view of women being unintelligent and not able to care for themselves. It was far easier fitting the mold and getting what I wanted than to fight it and struggling to get what I needed.

His features softened up and he smiled back at me, "Sure ma'am I can spare a moment. What did you need help with?"

I smirked internally as I replied, that was just too easy. "I was hoping you could direct me to the land offices and also to a good hotel in this city?"

He smiled, "Sure ma'am, there are a couple of hotels but the best one is Casita Linda. Then as for the land office, it's just down a ways from the station."

I batted my lashes a little more for good measure "Oh, thank you so much. I sure do appreciate your help. Now, could you just do me a favor and let whoever is in charge of the cars know that I would like for this car and the livestock car to be removed from the train. I would also be ever so grateful if you could have them store the car for me." I pulled out a crisp five dollar bill, "This is for your trouble, I thank you ever so kindly."

He stared at me a little dumbstruck but finally pulled himself together, nodded his head and accepted his payment for my requests and his help. "Thank you ma'am. I'll be sure to let them know." He turned and made his way back down the steps and half ran back to the front of the train.

Luke came from the back of the car laughing like a hyena. "Perfect performance, I'd rate that a nine and a half," he choked out between his laughter.

I turned at him smirked and punched his arm, "Oh, hush up you. Do you have the horses ready?"

His face was red from his laughing fit and he was trying to catch his breath, but he did manage to nod his head.

"Good, come on let's get them unloaded and go find the land office. Apparently it's just down the street." I motioned for him to follow me outside so we could open the car door and let down the ramp.

It did not take long to find the office which, true to the porters word, was only a few blocks down from the station. Fuego clearly did not want to stop at all and as soon as Luke pulled him up the creature started pawing the ground and snorting. "Luke, go ahead and explore. He obviously needs more exercise. I'll go see what's available in the area; here take Miro with you." I handed the reins to Luke who quickly turned Fuego and started down the street in a brisk trot.

I turned and went into the office and was greeted by a portly older gentleman dressed impeccably in a suit and tie. He looked me up and down trying to decide if I was a potential client or just someone just to waste his time, so I decided the best thing to do would be jump right in. "Good day to you sir, I'm here to inquire about any available property you may have for sale. I need something that has a house already on it, with a nice amount of land, and a barn."

He seemed slightly taken aback by my behavior, but quickly recovered. "I'd be more than happy to assist you with that ma'am, my name is Albert."

I smiled slightly, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Albert. I'm Isabella Swan." I extended my hand to his and he pulled it up kissing the back of it.

"It's a pleasure Miss Swan. So, to business, most of the land I have available has not yet been built up, but today does seem to be your lucky day." He grinned like the Cheshire cat, "I have one property at the moment that meets your needs, but there is a steep asking price for it, one of the ranchers in the area is interested and has already put money down. He hasn't been able to pay the rest though, and his time is up. So, I'll tell you what I can do, If you can pay over what he was going to and pay it today I will let you have it.

Greedy old bastard, "Can we go have a look at it? I refuse to buy it sight unseen, but if I like it I will pay you in full today, and in cash." I could see his eyes light up with dollar signs, I would have to be careful with this one. He was obviously a very experienced sales man.

"Sure, that's not a problem in the least, let me just grab my hat and we can go look at it." He walked over to the coat hangers and grabbed a worn cowboy hat that completely clashed with the rest of his outfit. Then he turned to me offering me his arm, "Right this way Miss Swan, my buggy is out back."

The property was about three miles from the city on the eastern side. It sat close enough to the Rio Grande River to supply water and provide ample grazing for any livestock that I might want to have. We pulled up to a gorgeous little hacienda style house. The house had a wall surrounding the front side with a thick oak door that had been painted in a deep red color, and carved by a master craftsman. It was stunning upon first sight and I immediately fell in love, this would be my house.

Albert had filled me in about the previous owners and how they moved down here from the east and built the house. They had then decided that the weather did not suit them and moved back east again. I could understand, though, growing up in Phoenix with Renee had left me acclimated to the desert weather so I knew it would not be a problem. However, many people would not be able to adjust, especially now long before there was any type of cooling system available.

Albert got out of the buggy and walked around to my side to help me out, "Right this way Miss Swan. I'll give you the tour and then you can decide if this is what you're looking for."

We walked to the door and he pulled out a key to open it. The large door swung open, revealing a small courtyard in front of the house. There were roses on each side flowing along the wall, and a stunning fountain in the center. The floor of the whole courtyard was tiled, leaving just enough room on the border for the rose bushes. The main entrance of the house was another thick door of oak. This one had been carved as well, but left to its natural color.

I took Albert's arm again as he guided me around the house pointing out each feature. The house itself was made out of adobe and the original owners had the money to have the roof tiled instead of thatched like many adobe buildings of the time. The giant wood beams ran across the ceiling half exposed. Apparently, they had decided to sell the house furnish and everything they had left was beautifully hand carved with a heavily influenced Spanish style. The mirrors on the wall were ornately decorated with silver trim with bronze accents that had been carved by expert silversmiths.

The house itself had three large bedrooms with one master suite that was easily the size of the other two together. There was a modern bathroom in the wing with the bedrooms. The kitchen was stunning with a gorgeous open area that had four large windows letting in adequate lighting. The kitchen itself was very modern for the time and had a brand new woodstove in the center of the room for cooking.

Behind the house but within the wall surrounding the property there was a nice sized stable; it was too fancy to call a barn. It had six large stalls allowing the horses plenty of room for movement, and then each stall opened out to a nice sized pen for the horses to come in and out as desired. Albert explained that there had been problems with horses being stolen so this was the best solution for the previous owners. There was another, larger gate on this side of the house allowing for easy access to go look over any livestock out in the pastures. Another bonus was that there were a few smaller houses on the property for workers to live if I wanted to have livestock. This way I would not have to worry about getting men to come here every day for work.

It was perfect, and I couldn't wait to show Luke and get our things moved out here. He would not be here for much longer, but I wanted him to think of this as his home and that he could live here whenever he wanted and for as long as he desired.

After the tour was completed Albert and I moved to the covered patio and sat under the shade enjoying the coolness of the adobe, "So, what do you think Miss Swan, will this do for what you are looking for?"

I smiled thinking of all the possibilities, "Yes, this would be perfect, but that depends on the price. What are you asking for it?"

He smiled, "Well for this property I'll let you have it for 35,000."

I knew the house was more than worth it by my standards, however, I didn't want to spend that much. "How about 30,000 cash and I can give it to you when we return to your office."

"Miss swan you drive a hard bargain, but I need at least 33,000."

I grinned, "I can do that, but I want you to get someone out here to clean the place up. I want to move in tomorrow. I would also like to hire a few men, one for the stable, and another for any work I'll need around the house. If you could supply them or tell me who I need to see that would be wonderful."

He reached his hand out to me and I shook sealing the deal, "I can do that. I have a man in town that knows some families who could use the work."

I nodded in agreement, "They are more than welcome to use the houses on the property if they want, and I pay well, as long as they are trustworthy."

"Yes, they are very good workers and will do well for you I think."

"Now, I do plan on traveling in the future, do you think they will maintain the place for me while I'm gone?"

"If I were you Miss Swan, I would leave someone in charge of the place while you're gone. There is a lawyer in town. He's very loyal to his clients and has other wealthy individuals for whom he oversees various properties. I would procure his services and then set up a trust to cover any costs while you are out of town."

"Thank you for the advice Mr. Mathews, I appreciate it."

"You're very welcome ma'am. Now we better be getting back so I can get someone out here to prepare the house for you." He smiled, stood from his chair and offered me his arm again to go back his office and finish the sale and collect the deed for the property.

By the time I finished with Albert and had the deed in hand, Luke was waiting for me at the water trough with a much better mannered Fuego standing quite contentedly with a back leg cocked. He smiled and waved me over as I exited the building.

"So how was your ride?" I asked, interested to see what he'd been up to for the better part of the afternoon.

"It was great once he settled down," he motioned to Fuego who nudged him back. "It took a good hour of trotting around town and then I went out in the desert a little. It's so different than Washington, you can see for miles." He said excitedly.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself and that Fuego is calmed down. I have great news, I found the perfect property. It has a gorgeous house, and a nice sized barn as well, there's about one hundred acres for livestock and a few homes for workers to live in. I think it will work out perfectly. Mr. Mathews is going to have someone go clean it up today and we'll move in tomorrow," I stated enthusiastically.

"Sounds wonderful," He smiled

"So did you find the livery?" I asked

"Yeah, I was going to leave Miro and come find you, but I didn't know if you would like to go for a ride before dinner. I also went to the Hotel and got our rooms for tonight. I didn't know how long so I only reserved them for tonight," He explained. "I also went to the train station and had the porter bring our luggage to the hotel for us so everything should be taken care of by the time we get there," He smiled smugly.

I grinned, "Thank you so much Luke, that was very thoughtful of you. Now we can enjoy the rest of the evening. Now let's go, I would love to see the area." I took Miros reins from Luke and swung up into the saddle, "Lead the way."

He hoped onto Fuego and nudged him into a fast walk; once we left town he got him into a canter heading toward the mountains behind the town. We rode for a few hours and finally made our way back to the hotel, handing the horses over to the groom, with a few dollars so that they got extra attention and headed in to get dinner.

Once dinner was finished Luke and I ordered a bath to be drawn and then made our way up to our rooms to get bathing supplies and a change of clothes.

The hotel was a very quaint, by no means modern. The rooms were generally comfortable, but a little small. It was nothing like the hotel we had stayed at in Washington. We each had our own rooms, Luke was next to me of course, but the rooms themselves were sparse, able to boast only a bed, wash basin and a small dresser. It would do for one night, but no more than that. I pulled my luggage over toward the bed sitting down on the edge of it while going through my trunk looking for my nightgown and robe.

While I looked through the clothing I remembered the letters that Alice had left me. I opened up the compartment where I had stashed them and withdrew the one that was to be opened when I arrived here. I just stared at it for a few minutes, my heart pounded with anticipation. It now felt that the life I left was the dream while this was becoming more and more a reality for me. I had now been her for close to three months and, although the times were radically different, people were still the same. I was thankful each day for Luke coming into my life, he was such a wonderful companion and I thoroughly enjoyed his company. Knowing that he would be leaving me soon was a heartache, but at the same time I had a feeling that Peter would soon become a constant in my life. Luke did not need to be drug into the supernatural world.

Finally my curiosity could not be contained any longer and I carefully opened the letter, I didn't want to damage the only connection I had to my previous life. I gently pulled the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it to reveal Alice's beautiful script.

My Dearest Sister,

According to my visions, you are now sitting in a hotel room reading this and I imagine you are missing me as much as I miss you. I honestly don't know how you're coping with out the amenities of today.

From what my visions have revealed, you now have a younger brother, Luke. He seems very sweet and I'm glad you have someone you can count on.

Things are going to be moving very quickly from here on out, so you need to do a few things in preparation for the future. Maria and Jasper are going to be scouting very shortly. I'm not sure about the time frame, but there should be enough time to prepare.

First, you need to write a letter to Luke and make sure he understands it before leaving to go back to California. Give him one hundred thousand dollars the day he leaves, with instructions in the letter explaining what it is to be used for. Make clear to him that once the train stops back in Los Angeles he needs to place thirty thousand dollars into the stock of Winchester guns, under his name. Tell him he should go to the law office of Anthony Williamson to have this done. In 1904, he needs to place thirty thousand into Buick stock and another thirty into Ford Motor Co. Have these both put under the name Peter Whitlock. He must stay away from El Paso for the next five years at least. Let him know that everything is going to be taken care of by your lawyer and that if you should disappear, you will be fine, and that there is simply something that you need to take care of. Tell him not to come looking for you. I know this is hard but you will see him again in the future, I promise.

Now then, next Friday you both need to go into Mexico. They have horse racing and you will make the money required for the stocks there. The first race you need to place bets on these horses Whisky, Vanti, Bill, Orion and one named Picket. Make sure they are large bets but in between these horses place smaller bets on any random horses you wish. You have to lose some bets so that the bookies don't get upset or suspicious.

Once you get back from the races, the following Monday you need to go see the lawyer Mr. Mathews suggested, he is trustworthy. Have the lawyer draw up a will for you naming Peter Whitlock the primary beneficiary, with Luke being the secondary. Have him place fifty thousand dollars of stock into the Winchester gun co. under Peter's name; it will be much easier this way in the long run. You will need the returns on this stock available to you in the next few years. Have him set up the stock so that the returns will be put into a bank account for you under Peter's name. You also will need him to set up a trust to take care of the house and the rest of the property while you are gone. This should take care of the financial aspects. Have the lawyer also procure birth certificates for yourself, Peter, Jasper and Luke. You should have his made for a Luke Swan age fifteen, and for the others, Peter is twenty-seven, Jasper is twenty-two and you should put twenty-one for yourself.

In your house there is a hidden safe in the master bedroom, behind the mirror on the right side of the bed. The combination is 3-36-63. Place the documents and all the money except for five hundred dollars in the safe.

When the time comes and you meet your destiny, follow your instincts and it will turn out fine. I've seen it. You are going to be stunning, and one day we will see each other again.

All my love,

Alice

I read and re-read the letter several times, making sure that I understood all of her instructions. She was right; things would be moving much faster. I was scared and excited all at the same time. I was worried that Luke might still potentially be here when the time came, but Alice seemed to think not. There was only one thing I could do and that was have him leave the following Monday after we returned from the races.

I folded the letter back up and put it back into the envelope, placing it underneath my pillow on the bed, grabbed my clothing and supplies, and made my way downstairs to my long overdue bath. I needed to relax and let go. Things were out of my hands and I had faith that Alice knew what she was talking about.

The next several weeks passed in a blur, I had followed Alice's letter to a T and had everything set up. Today Luke would be leaving me to go back to the ranch. He was excited, but had an aura of sadness as well. He was not the only one; I was going to miss him like crazy.

I got up early that morning and prepared him a large breakfast as he went out to hitch Miro to my new buggy. He came in just as I was setting the table. We had a quiet breakfast, each of us lost to our thoughts. Once we had eaten our fill he helped me clear the table and quickly clean the kitchen.

Once finished I motioned for him to come sit the table. "I need to go get something, I'll be right back I have some things to discuss with you before we go to the station."

He nodded in understanding so I left to go grab his money and the letter I wrote for him. I was sure he would understand the instructions, but decided it would be safer to go over them with him as well. He was staring blankly out the window when I walked back into the kitchen.

"Luke," he turned to face me as I sat down in the seat next to him. "I have several things that you are going to need to do for me when you reach Los Angeles." I handed him the letter, "Open this up and we'll go over it. I need to be certain that you understand."

He took the letter from me quickly opening it and scanning over the contents. Once he finished he just looked to me in confusion. "If something happens why wouldn't you want me to come look for you?" he questioned, sounding hurt that I would ask that of him.

"There are things that are going to happen in the next few years. Everyone will think I'm gone, but for your safety you mustn't come look for me. There are things in this world that you will not understand and please trust me when I say that I have your best interest at heart. Just know that I will be fine, and I will always be there when you need me most. Please, Luke, promise me that you will stay away."

He huffed a bit and finally turned back to me "I promise, you have never misled me before, so I believe you."

"Ok, now for the rest. Do you understand what I'm asking for?"

He nodded his head, "Yes, I'm to find this lawyer in Los Angeles and have him invest money into the Winchester stock under my name. Then in a few years invest in to these companies under Peter Whitlock."

"Yes, that's exactly it. Here, this is for you also," I pulled out the money and his new birth certificate. "You will need theses in order to get the stock. The money that is left over from the investments is yours to do with as you see fit. Be careful, I love you as my brother, blood or no." I pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek, while he made a gagging noise and playfully tried to pull away.

"Ewe! Girls have coodies!" He playfully griped at me.

I smacked his shoulder, "One day you will feel different."

He rolled his eyes and jumped up from his seat "We should get going. I bet Fuego is pawing at the ground already."

I laughed, most likely he was right. his horse was just like its owner, always ready to get moving. I followed him out to the buggy, passing my new maintenance man Javier. "Javi, I'm taking Luke to the station, please watch the house for me while I'm gone."

He nodded, "Muy bien Senorita."

Luke and I made it to the station in good time and got Fuego situated back into the stock car. We had made arrangements to just use the same one since it already had Fuego's modifications. Once he was settled, I gave Luke one last hug before he got onto the car. I waved to him one more time before turning and going back to the buggy. I did not want to break down sobbing in front of all the other people there. I was never one to openly display my emotions. It was always embarrassing for me when I would get so angry that tears would start forming.

Once I was alone in the buggy I broke down, it was so hard sending him off on his own. I had to trust that Alice new best, but also I knew that I would soon be with Peter. If Luke had not left me now, I would be leaving him soon.


	14. Angel of Death

**All characters belong to SM!**

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Chapter 14

**Angel of Death**

Peter POV

Jasper and Maria had now been gone for a little over a week and it was time ta take the remainin' newborns to feed. They'd been getting' restless for the past day or so and if I didn't take them soon I would have a fight on my hands. There was no possibility of them overtakin' me, but we couldn't really afford to get rid of them unnecessarily. They all had at least four solid months left 'fore their strength would start to wane. Personally, I thought it was a waste, destroyin' them ourselves. If they made it past a year they were obviously skilled and we could use them. If they died in battle due to their strength not being up to par, well then that was one less we would have to take care of ourselves. The point was that Maria was a power hungry bitch and for her, it was easier to keep track of them if she created batches at a time and culled them as needed, replacin' them with fresh stock.

I needed to get away for a little while and decided on trackin' the old trail left from the newborn scout that Jasper had disposed of. It looked like he was traveling alone and from the scent trail I gathered that he had been watchin' our camp for a few days before his discovery. This didn't bode well. I got a feelin' that shit was going to fly, and it was going to fly soon. I left Anthony in charge. He was one of the oldest newborns and was very smart. He knew his chances of survival were slim, but he was also aware that his best chance for survival was to follow orders and keep in line with what Jasper and I told him. He was useful and had a handy gift. He could persuade people to see his point of view. While it only worked for the short term and only if the person that was being persuaded had a weak mind, it did come in mighty handy when dealing with a bunch of fresh newborns. I was plannin' on talkin' to Maria about keeping him around for occasions just such as now when only one of us could be there. He made the others all so much easier to deal with.

After I'd made my way about one hundred fifty miles from our camp I came across a fresh trail that seemed to be goin' in the opposite direction from the trail I was currently on. It was, however, heading toward our camp. I decided to follow it to see where it would go and found that the scent became increasingly more pronounced. It would seem that whoever came this way had been stickin' around the area. It had to be another newborn from Diego but I still could not come up with any reasons why he would try take over our area. He should know how futile it would be.

I was on the northwest corner of Maria's claimed area when I spotted the vampire in the distance. He seemed to be distracted watchin' some humans travel down one of the many roads going through to Monterrey. I took my time getting' close to him and while he hunted the humans I hunted him. The whole time he was none the wiser. Finally, once I was close enough, I took the opportunity to pounce. He was taken completely off guard. A typical newborn, he immediately started to fight. I let him go as I had been itchin' for a good fight. The last few years had proved to be rather sedate, and I was getting' bored.

"Why're ya in this territory?" I growled out at him. "It's clearly marked and has been claimed by Maria fer over twenty years."

He hissed back at me refusin' to answer. I was ecstatic; this is the response I had hoped for. I circled him as he followed me with his eyes, crouched down and ready to strike. I waited 'til he finally made his decision. He pounced, feignin' right. The newborn had been trained well, but his skill would not be nearly enough to keep him alive. I ducked out of his attempt and swept my leg to the side, knockin' him hard behind the knee, makin' him stumble. He recovered and turned to face me again, but lost his confidence. I just smirked and raised a brow, waitin' for him to react. It didn't take long before he realized he was going to lose and attempted to run rather than continue fightin'. It was a disappointment. I wanted to continue, but figured I'd have my fun getting' information out of him. He didn't get far before I pounced on him grabbin' him by the leg and wrenchin' it away. As the sound of the metallic scream of vampire flesh being torn hit the air I threw the appendage to the left and continued rippin' him apart, leavin' just his torso with his head connected so I could get the required information.

"I'll ask ya once more nicely. Who sent ya, and what'd ya want?" I figured there was no harm in givin' the man one chance at redemption in the form of a quick death, versus the torture I could put him through. He just stared blankly at me, refusin' to answer my questions, only growlin' and howlin' in pain from his lost limbs.

"Have it yer way," I agreed casually as I took his hand and started pluckin' the fingers off one by one, pausing in between each to raise a brow in question. He tried to keep the whimperin' in but was not very successful. "Ya know that as a vampire you can still feel yer missin' limbs even once removed," I reminded him tauntingly, though he clearly did not need to be told. He just kept whimperin' in pain as I started removin' toes next. "Now imagine how it's gonna feel once I start settin' fire to yer fingers," I grinned evilly at the man.

He started whimperin' as the pain intensified. The more you removed the worse it got. I grabbed a match out of the tin and started a nice little fire, takin' the first finger and slowly lowerin' it to the flames. "This is yer final chance. Talk an' I'll make it quick, don't an' I'll be setting' ya aflame piece by excruciatin' piece. Once there's nothin' but yer torso left, I'll remove yer head an' bury ya in the ground fer the rest of eternity," I smirked at him. That was a fate far worse than death, excruciatin' pain for the rest of eternity without any way to alleviate it.

"No, please! I'll tell ya what ya want but, please, a quick death," He begged.

"Fine, now answer m'questions," I growled out at the man.

"My name is Juan, I was sent by Victor to spy on your camp and report back to him to inform him of when the best time to attack would be."

I nodded to him, "Who's Victor? I don't know any vampires by that name."

"Victor was Diego's first in command, but he pulled us together and overthrew Diego, taking command of his army," He managed to get out between the gasps of pain.

"So, Diego's gone an' this Victor took 'is place? When's he planning to attack?" I had definitely not seen this one comin'.

He looked up at me with wide pleadin' eyes and whimpered, "Yes, Diego is dead. Victor is planning to attack in less than a month."

"Does he have any gifted newborns?"

He nodded his head, "Yes, Carlos, he is a damper, gifts don't work around him."

As soon as he finished I grabbed his head and tore it from his torso, quickly throwin' it into the fire. The kindest way to die for a vampire was if the head went in first. If the head was left out but the body burned they would feel each excruciatin' flame as it consumed their body. The pain would remain forever etched into their memory until they were put in the flame.

I sat there watchin' the flame die down thinking about this Carlos. He had to be the reason that I hadn't had a clue as to what was goin' on in Diego's territory. This Victor was obviously not a very good commander if he thought he had a chance in hell of taking over this territory. Either that, or he was banking on the fact that the damper would be able to disarm any of our gifted newborns.

Once the fire died down to embers and ashes I left, runnin' back to the camp and the awaitin' newborns. I had been delayed several hours and hoped that Anthony still had them under control. It only took ten minutes to run back to camp and I found Anthony in the process of puttin' one of the others in line. They were all standin' 'round watchin' as he tore the arm off of his opponent. I knew that if I let the fight continue then we would lose the other newborn and right now I could not afford for that to happen. I ran in and threw them apart, giving a warnin' growl. They knew not to mess with me.

Anthony backed away and lettin' the other newborn scramble away to find his missin' appendage. "What's goin' on here?" I growled at them.

Anthony, being in charge, was left to answer. "He tried to disobey yer orders to remain here, he was trying to sneak out of camp and go huntin' in the city," he explained.

I turned to the newborn who was now tryin' to fuse his arm back on, levelin' him with a glare and growled at him, "When we get back from huntin' you'll be punished."

He did not bother answerin', just looked down at the ground. The usual punishment was repeated loss of appendages. We would tear off an arm, leg, or both and then reattach them and let them heal, just to tear them off again. This would go on for days until the offendin' party learned their lesson. This time he got lucky, though, as I would need them to spar continuously until Maria and Jasper got back with the new batch. In the mean time, I would have to come up with a fittin' punishment, or maybe I would allow Anthony the pleasure since he was the one the newborn was fightin' with in the first place.

I gathered them up and we all ran into the city, each taking a different section. We met up when we'd all had our fill to head back to camp. Down here it was normal for humans to disappear and not have anyone suspicious of the disappearance. It only took about three hours in total before everyone came back from huntin', bright crimson eyes proof of our meals.

The next few days passed mercifully fast. I kept them all busy sparrin' and practicin' for the comin' battle. I was overseein' one of the matches when one of the newborns I'd sent scoutin' came runnin' out to where we practiced with a message for me, "Sir, Maria and the Major 're back. They sent me to fetch ya."

I nodded to him, "Ok, I want ya ta spar with Anthony when he's finished with this 'un." I indicated towards the vampire now missing an ear.

"Yes, Sir," he responded and then turned to watch the fight while waitin' for his turn.

I turned to the camp, runnin' towards Maria's tent. It was likely that they were strategizin' how to best train the newly awoken vampires. Jasper came out, hearin' my approach. "How was it Captain?" he asked. We always stayed formal in front of Maria, always an elaborate act for the bitch.

"The newborns were in line. They feed three days ago, and so should be fine fer at least another three. I do have news, though. Three days ago I was runnin' the trail of that newborn ya destroyed when I came 'cross another 'un. He was kind enough ta inform me that Diego was destroyed and his first in command, Victor, has taken his place. This Victor's plannin' an attack on us within a month's time. We need more newborns, and quickly, to oppose his attack."

Maria flitted out of the tent upon that news, scowl firmly planted on her face. "Captain, you are to remain here train these newborns while the Major and I run for new recruits. We will turn as many as we can manage, and bring them back within the week. Be prepared, I want at least twenty-five ready for battle in three weeks. We don't have much time to train them, so the bare essentials are all we can afford at the moment. Is that understood Captain?" As she was talkin', I got a new stream of information. Bella would be comin' with the new batch. This was it, the time I had been waitin' for. I was elated and scared shitless at the same time. I would not be the one to turn her and, goddamn it, I wanted the venom runnin' in her veins to be _mine_! However, if this is how it was fated, I wanted for it to at least be Jasper to change her. I trusted him with my life. Maria was just as likely to kill Bella as to change her. Her control was not nearly as perfected as his.

"Yes, Mistress, it's understood. They'll be prepared." She nodded and turned to go back into her tent, but not before lettin' us know they would be leavin' again in just an hour's time.

"Major, if I could have a word with ya, I want to see wha'cha think about a new form'a torture that I've devised," I requested of Japer and sent him a healthy dose of fear, anticipation, and curiosity. It was the code we used whenever I needed to talk to him with no one around. He gave a slight nod of understandin' and followed me out of the camp away from any pryin' ears. I needed to fill him in on Bella and Maria could not know about it.

"Brother, what's goin' on. What's so important that no one can know 'bout it?" He asked curiously.

"I need yer help. I just got a feelin', an' I need ya ta do somethin' fer me," I answered him as calmly as I could. He just stood patiently waiting for my explanation. "Durin' this next recruitment, ye're gonna come across my mate. I need ya ta change her fer me 'fore Maria gets the chance." His eyes widened and he just stared in amazement, not bein' able to speak. "I can't chance Maria killin' 'er, I wouldn't survive it. Please, brother, ya have ta do this fer me."

He finally found his voice, "Y-yer mate? Peter are ya fuckin' kiddin' me? Ya can't bring yer mate into this mess! An' 'sides, how do ya know she's yer mate, an' how the hell am I gonna know who this woman is?"

I just stared at him like he was stupid and made sure that I sent him a wave of that feelin'. "Jasper, a'course I know she's my mate. I just know things, ya know this. Ye'll recognize 'er by her scent." I just waited for him to catch on, knowin' that somewhere in that brain it would connect.

"The scent on ya when ya came back, it was her. So that's why ya needed ta go on that trip, it was ta find her." I just smiled at him and nodded knowin' that he could feel my emotions for her.

"She was in trouble; I had ta make her safe. Jasper, she's my life now. As soon as I felt her, she became my world an' as soon as I saw her in person that bond was cemented. I'm amazed tha'cha didn't pick up on the change when I first came back, from my emotions alone."

He finally sighed, "I'll make sure she's safe an' comes through the change. Don't worry 'bout Maria, she knows better'n ta cross me."

I sent him all the gratitude I felt and the love for him as my brother. There was very little I would not do for him and I knew he felt the same way.

JPOV

When my brother told me that he found his mate, I could not form a coherent sentence in my head, let alone speak. It was not a rare occurrence, but here in the south it was definitely a huge risk. Not only that, but it took most vampires time before they realized that they had found their mate and usually only if the other person was already turned. If the mate was a human, the connection was generally so small that they didn't even realize they had met their match. Peter, with his gift of knowledge, had a advantage over the rest of us. He would know in advance, even before the first contact and apparently even while she was still human. If he was tellin' me to change her it could only mean that this was an unavoidable scenario. I know he would much rather do it himself, just as any vampire with a human mate would. It also meant that if I didn't do it, then Maria was likely to try. If she did, there was a good chance that this woman wouldn't survive. I also knew that if our roles were reversed he would do it for me. Finally, I sighed, "I'll make sure she's safe and comes through the change. Don't worry 'bout Maria she knows better'n ta cross me."

I could feel his appreciation and love, it was a rare moment that either of us would allow our guard down long enough to be ourselves with each other. "So, what's yer mate's name?"

He just shook his head, "No, ya can't know anything 'bout 'er. If Maria suspects that ya know her she will try to kill her a'fore ya can change 'er." I nodded in understandin'. Maria was a jealous bitch and if she thought that I had a connection to Peter's mate, no matter how innocent, she would stop at nothin' to destroy her. She thought of me as belongin' to her, even if she was nothin' to me but a release. Even then I didn't like it, but our roles had to be played out perfectly. Peter nodded to me in understandin'. "Soon, brother, we'll be free from 'er, an' my mate's the key we've been waiting fer." He grinned, obviously thinkin' about his woman.

"I need ta get back ta Maria. I'm sure she's pacin' her tent waitin' for me," I grudgingly said as we turned and ran back to camp, partin' ways once we reached the edge. Peter headed to the newborns to take them to the trainin' field. We'd ended up brinin' back seven with us, three women and four men. We now had seventeen in total, and if Maria was set on twenty-five we'd have our hands full on the way back from our recruitin'. I walked into the tent to find her impatiently tappin' the toe of her boot against the Persian rug on the ground. She refused to live like the rest of us and demanded to have the finest items available. Her tent was easily four times the size of the rest of ours. She wanted to build a grand house for herself, but knew that it was impossible due to the nature of our lives. We had to be mobile, easily pickin' up our camp and relocatin' on a moment's notice. She was too greedy to stop fightin' for territory and just live happily. Being an empath, I knew just how much she adored the violence of this life, almost gettin' drunk on the pain of others.

She immediately stood and walked out the tent, expecting me to follow like the faithful dog she thought I was. She looked over her shoulder. "We are going to El Paso. We haven't recruited there for a while and I think they can afford to give me a few soldiers," she laughed, while I kept my emotions in check. I would love nothin' better than to rip her head from her shoulders and burn her, but the time wasn't right accordin' to Peter.

I was tired of livin' like this, tired of feelin' the pain from humans I drank from, of feelin' the torment of the newborns when I ripped them apart, and just tired in general. I had thought many times of lettin' one of the opposing armies rip me apart to end this continual agony I felt, but I couldn't do that. I had Peter to think about. We always watched each other's back. Besides, when it came down to it, I wasn't a coward and to me that was a cowards way out.

Maria and I ran straight to El Paso, only taking a small detour to hunt in one of the small villages along the way. It only took us a day and a half to arrive before we started scouting the town for prospects. Maria was picky and liked to have a variety of newborns. She preferred men over women, but knew that it was easier to control the men if there were women as well. It curbed their desire to destroy each other, instead they would be lustin' after the women.

Of the men, she would pick soldiers or men that had an attitude for fighting. They would make the fiercest warriors. In selectin' women she wasn't as picky. Knowin' that ultimately they would never measure up to the men, it didn't really matter what they were like as humans. Most of the time, it was just an unlucky woman that was out at night in the wrong place at the wrong time. Usually, it would be a whore or someone of the like, as they were usually the only women found out at night, and easily accessible. Generally, I would be the one turnin' them. My empathic ability makes it easier for me to stop as I feel their emotions, allowin' for them to transform instead of being drained. Due to the time restraints, however, Maria would need to turn some as well, which meant she would be pickin' double the amount due to her lack of restraint.

We split up while findin' our marks. We would scout first, findin' prospects over the next few days, and then in one night we would turn them all within a few short hours of each other. We would then make sure to take them a few hundred miles from the town, to a smaller village. They would awake at approximately the same time and we would set them loose on the village, burnin' it down after their feast to destroy the evidence. Once they had their fill and were no longer driven by instinct, I would use my empathic abilities to control them. This method worked well to secure at least eight newborns, but most of the time we would only take five to six, makin' our job that much easier. Newborns were driven by instinct. The more there were the harder it was to control them.

I made my way through the back alleys of the city, takin' account of everyone I passed, catalogin' those who caught my interest. I would follow them from the shadows, getting' to know them through their emotions. If they seemed like emotionally strong individuals then they were unlucky enough to become a recruit. I spent the first night like a wraith in the dark. I found three men that I felt sure would make good soldiers for us. One was part of the Calvary stationed at Fort Bliss. He was a brawny man physically, but also was emotionally strong, makin' for a excellent recruit. The other two were a couple of cowboys who were passin' through in their way to California. Surprisingly, many of the cowboys I had turned became excellent soldiers as well. They were tough and hard working as humans. When they changed, many of them retained the characteristics from their human selves, makin' for excellent soldiers. After I followed them for a couple of hours, findin' where they were stayin', I decided to head out of town for a little while.

Bein' in a city was hard for me, there were so many emotions that I had to deal with it would become overwhelmin' after a while. Maria would come find me if she needed anythin' but I doubted she would, and I was thankful for that. She usually found a human plaything for the remainder of the night. It would probably end in his death if he was lucky. It was a rarity that I could find time alone, without her hoverin'. The only other times she'd leave me in peace is if I was trainin' the newborns. She loved what they could do for her, but as for the work that Peter and I put into them, she could care less as long as she reaped the rewards.

I found myself down by the Rio Grande sittin' on the bank just enjoyin' the peace as the water slowly flowed by me. I had just decided to go for a swim when the breeze picked up and I immediately recognized the scent on the air. It was her. I followed the scent down the river until I saw a little hacienda in the distance. I was curious, plus I needed to know more about the woman who would soon be my sister. It was early mornin', the sun was just about to rise, and as I drew near I could hear the steady beats of two hearts, one human and one that of a large animal, the murmur of a woman's voice, and the distinct sound of a horse's feet hitting the earth. She smelled wonderful but it was easy to think past her scent. I just kept picturin' Peter in my mind and what would happen if this woman were to perish. I might as well kill him myself. The loss of one's mate was a death sentence. They were part of us, our other half, and if something were to happen to them it would be like killing half of yourself.

I finally saw her as I drew near. She was astride her horse and was guidin' him around the pecan trees growin' by the river. She was pretty, for a human, petite, with chestnut brown hair, fair skin, rosy cheeks, and brown eyes. She had an innocence but at the same time her emotions betrayed her true nature. I was willin' to bet she could be quite a hellcat when provoked. I couldn't wait to see her and Peter together. She would compliment and complete him in many ways though I could also see some entertaining arguments in the future. I was genuinely happy for my brother, but at the same time jealous. I wanted to find my mate, if she was even out there.

I watched the woman for a little while before running to meet Maria at our hideout a few miles outside the city. We found an abandoned barn to stay at during the day until the sun would once again set, allowin' us to come out durin' the night. Tonight we would gather our marks and start the change that would alter them forever, or at least until their final death, which for some would be only hours after they awoke, if they were lucky.

Maria and I spent the day fuckin'. This was the normal way for us to pass the time, nothin' more than a release of pent up energy and emotion, until we could safely go back into town. She told me of the men and women that she had selected while I feigned interest and pretended to pay attention. What I was really doing was thinkin' of a way to get to Peter's mate before Maria did. If she hadn't already marked her then I was guessin' the woman was goin' to end up at the wrong place and time, endin' up a meal if I didn't do somethin' about it. I would just have to stick close to her, strikin' when the moment presented itself.

The sun finally set, allowin' us to make our way back to town. Maria suggested we split up for a quick hunt. Being well sated gave our recruits much better odds of being changed rather than drained. I finished off two men before following Maria's scent to the church on the west side of town. _How appropriate_, I quietly chuckled over the irony of our rendezvous point. She walked out of the shadows to meet me in front of the stone wall surroundin' the church.

"Mi amor, have you had your fill?" She questioned raising a brow.

"Of course, can't very well change 'em without a proper meal," I snidely replied. The sarcasm in my tone was, however, lost on her.

"Good, we will go together to get my recruits first. When we find them knock them out for now. Once we've gathered them together, I'll stay with them while you gather yours. Then put them in this wagon," she pointed to a large wagon that was sittin' across the road from us. "We can transport them in that until we are safely out of town, change them and take them to where they can finish the change."

I nodded in agreement. It was a sound plan and the easiest way to get so many people out of town without notice. "Yes, ma'am," I responded as was expected of me.

She turned and ran to her fist mark. I let her go in alone and she came back shortly with a large man slung over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. This was repeated seven more times before she was finished. Once we had them all secure in the wagon they were bound and gagged for extra security, though I doubted that any one of them would be wakin' up in the near future.

I took off at a run to my first recruit, the soldier. He was spendin' his night at one of the many houses of ill repute in El Paso and I decided to grab the whore he was with as well. Both were sound asleep when I arrived, so it was only a matter of soundly knockin' each of them on the head before runnin' out of the establishment at vampire speed. No one would notice us at that speed. The most they would notice is a slight breeze as I went by. I dumped both of them in the wagon where Maria was keeping guard.

The next two were easy enough to find. They were at one of the saloons drinkin' away their money and I merely waited a while before one made their way outside to take a piss. I got the other when he came lookin' for his friend. I dumped both in the wagon before headin' back to look for Peter's mate.

I ran in the direction of her house, but as I neared it, I caught her scent heading to town. So I turned and made my way back to El Paso followin' to wherever she may have gone. I finally caught up to her as she was comin' out of the theater. Apparently, she came for the evenin' to watch the troupe of players that had come to town. She turned to walk down an alley, cutting across to the main road. I ran in front of her to head her off makin' sure that she would never make it through.

She had been lookin' down at the ground while she walked and I cleared my throat to get her attention. It was time I was properly introduced to my new sister. I chuckled to myself as she finally looked up and gasped. "J-Ja-Jasper i-is tha-that you?" she managed to get out. Her heart rate increased tenfold and I could smell the sweat as her flight response kicked in. "Is it really you?" she asked again.

I just stood there like a living statue. How did she know who I was? Even if Peter had mentioned me, which I doubted, there's no way she would know my face. "How'd ya know me?" I asked, half growling, making her heart rate increase even more.

"I-I'm sorry, I can't tell you now. Someday I will but not now." She was brave, I would give her that, but it did not satisfy my curiosity. "Why are you here?" She asked.

"Peter sent me," I replied shortly. This was the only information that I was willin' to give her, the only information that she really needed to know at the moment.

She cocked her head to the side, like she was listenin' really hard for somethin'. "It's time, isn't it?" she stated, as if she had been prepared for it. Her emotions held the same edge of finality and understandin'. Peter, he had probably forewarned her.

"Yes," I whispered as I flitted behind her. Grabbin' a hold of her waist with one hand and keepin' her head bent away from my lips with the other, I whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, but this's the only way I can protect ya fer him." As I bit into her soft flesh and started drinkin' I heard her ever so softly whisper, "I understand, Jasper." Her blood was amazin', like her scent, but I found that I could easily stop. Once I removed as much blood as I dared to, I started injectin' as much venom as I could into her vein. I sealed the wound on her neck and lay her down on the ground. Next, I quickly grabbed each wrist, puttin' more venom into her system. She had passed out from blood loss, but it wouldn't be long before pain of the venom woke her up. I had decided that the best way to make sure that Maria didn't change her was to do it before she even had the opportunity.

I ran back to the wagon with her over my shoulder much like the other two. I couldn't have Maria getting' the wrong idea. She would already be suspicious once she realized that I had already bitten the girl. I put her into the back with the others and jumped up to the driver's seat where Maria sat waiting.

"Mi amour, that last one is a gem. She will polish well in the change," she nodded to me excitedly. That meant that the woman was gifted with somethin'. While Maria didn't have a strong gift she did have knack for knowin' when someone would have a gift as a vampire. It was this ability that made her change me. So this is why Peter wanted me to change her. If Maria had noticed her she would have insisted on changin' her. She always wanted the glory of saying that she changed all the gifted ones. The problem is many that would have been gifted didn't survive. I knew she would be upset at not being able to change her so I decided to be proactive rather than wait for her to discover that she wouldn't be given the chance.

"If that's the case, mistress, then I do apologize. I didn't realize an' the woman's already begun ta change."

Her eyes darkened with anger. "What? Why did you start her change already? That was not the plan," she yelled.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean ta change her. We met in an alley an' she smelled so good I couldn't stop myself. It wasn't 'til I'd bitten her that I realized we could use 'er, so I changed 'er instead'a drainin' 'er," I explained.

She sat there throwin' as much anger at me as she could manage, makin' sure I knew just how displeased she was with me. Finally, she growled out, "It's probably best. I kill as many as I keep." She was still angry, but she knew that there was nothin' she could do at this point.

We were now several miles away from town and it was just past midnight. Peter's mate had yet to make a sound but I could feel the agonizin' burnin' so I knew she had to be awake. Despite the agony, I could feel a lot of determination and could only guess that she was tryin' to remain silent. If she was like this goin' through the worst pain imaginable, then this woman was goin' to be a force to be reckoned with.

BPOV

It had been a week since Luke left to go back to California and it was really lonely without him here. I spent most of my days working around the house, clipping the rose bushes, and riding Miro around my property. I had started riding him every morning, getting up early to catch the sun rise, making our way down to the river and then around the pecan orchards.

This morning I woke up and just had a niggling feeling pulling at my subconscious. I could not pinpoint what it was. It was like trying to grasp a wisp of smoke, impossible to do. I made a pot of coffee savoring the flavor of the rich brew. I had never really been a fan of coffee before, but with no other way to get a caffeine fix it was learn to like it or go without. I watched out the window as Javier and Miguel saddled two horses and went to do work on the property. They were a couple of the men that had been supplied by Albert's contact. Both men had families that now occupied a couple of the houses on the property. Miguel seemed like a nice enough man, but he did not know any English, so I had to count on Javier to tell him what to do. So far the system seemed to be working. However, I was really irritated over not having paid better attention during Spanish class.

I bought five new horses for the men to use around the property. Two of them were draft horses for pulling and plowing the other three riding horses. Miro, however, was not impressed with the new additions and kept to himself, missing his former companion and sulking in the corner of his pen. This morning he was waiting for me by the gate, ready to go for our daily outing. I had him saddled a short time later and we headed out the back gate behind the barn. I leaned down to pat his neck affectionately, he was such a big baby at times, but I really had grown to love him.

Part way through our ride the hair on the back of my neck started to stand up and I had the feeling that I was being watched. It was eerily familiar to how I use to feel when Edward would spy on me from the trees. I did not bother looking, knowing that it would not help, and I did not want to tip whoever it was off that I knew someone was watching me. I guided Miro around our usual trail and finally on the way home the feeling reseeded. I let go a sigh of relief. I did not know if it had been a vampire, but I really did not want to find out. One thing was for sure, it was not my Peter. I could still feel the pulling and it was too far away to be him. I only hoped that the unknown person would not take any interest in me and leave the area.

The rest of the day was quiet and I had decided to go into town tonight to the theater. They had just finished the Plaza Theater and there was a group of actors putting on a rendition of _The Twelfth Night_, a Shakespearian comedy about mixed up identities and confused love. I had seen the movie before, and thought it would be fun to see it performed live.

I had Javier hitch Miro to the buggy and made it into town a short while later. I took him to the livery and paid the stable hand to unhitch him and make him comfortable for the night, having decided that I would stay at the Grand Hotel tonight and go home in the morning. I had dinner at the restaurant across from the Plaza and made my way over in time to get a ticket and be shown to my seat.

The play was very entertaining and I highly enjoyed myself wishing that it had lasted longer. I was not ready to be alone again. I went to the front and collected my coat and started toward the hotel. It was located on the street behind the theater so I made my way across the shortcut going through the alley. I was watching the ground making sure not to misstep and fall when I heard someone in front of me clear their throat.

I looked up at the unknown person and was taken completely by surprise. It was Jasper, but not. This version had deep crimson eyes and scowl. I was so screwed. "J-Ja-Jasper i-is tha-that you?" I was having a hard time reconciling the person I knew to the person standing in front of me staring me down. "Is it really you?" I asked again, my brain had been thrown for a loop. Logically I knew that this was Jasper, but not the one I knew before. This one was a much rougher version, long before Alice helped him become the man I considered part of my family.

He growled out at me, "How'd ya know me?" I knew that there was no way I could tell him, not without possibly screwing up the future. I had seen _The Butterfly Effect_ and there was no way in hell that I would risk his future with Alice by telling him spoilers. "I-I'm sorry, I can't tell you now. Someday I will, but not now." He stopped growling but now just stood staring me down. "Why are you here?" I finally found the courage to ask.

"Peter sent me," he replied quietly back to me. This was it, what Alice had seen. It was alright, I had put all of my affairs in order, everything would be taken care of. "It's time, isn't it?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I sent him a strong dose of understanding. I had been prepared for this, just had not expected Jasper to be my angel of death.

Before I realized what happened he was standing behind me. I was wrapped in his arms as he whispered, "Yes," and then bent my head to the side. "I'm sorry, but this's the only way I can protect ya fer him," he explained, almost gently. My only regret was that this was not Peter, but I understood and I let him know as much. I did not want him to feel guilty for taking what was by rights Peter's. I was sure this was planned. He would not have sought me out if it had not been.

I barely felt the pain as his teeth broke through my skin but I felt the blood leaving my body as I grew light headed. I started to panic thinking he was draining me and that I would be taken away from Peter. Finally, mercifully, I blacked out, but not before feeling the relief of the burning start in my neck, as it started to travel through my system.

I awoke some time later to the burning. The pain from when James's venom entered my body compared to now was nothing even remotely similar in its intensity. The fire consumed me, burning me alive from the inside out as my cells tried and failed to fight the venom off. I wanted to do nothing more than scream at the top of my lungs but I knew that it would not help. So I kept as quite as I could manage; only letting out a whimper when the pain became too unbearable. Time must have passed but the burning made it impossible to tell if it had been minutes, hours, or days. I knew we were moving and I could feel every jolt and bump. It only intensified the pain, making it that much harder to bear. It did not matter though, if it got a thousand times worse, Peter was worth it, and I would go through this again, a thousand times over if need be to remain with him.

As I nearly lost myself to the pain, I vaguely remembered what I had been told about holding on to my memories and reliving them constantly, so as to not forget. I could now understand how memories could be so easily lost. I kept a tight hold of mine, refusing to allow the venom to destroy the connections I had to the people I loved.

I could now hear others around me all crying out and screaming. They were changing as well I realized. I heard someone approach, Jasper, I could smell him as he leaned closer. Then I heard him whisper, "It's almost over. Think'a Peter." I did just that, blocking out everything else and focusing on my future and what it would hold.

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I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	15. Reunion

AN: All characters are creation of SM, story line is mine.

_**Much Thnaks to my beta Karisgrace! **_

_**Warning:**_ This chapter contains foul language and lemons, if you do not like this please don't read. If you do read it you have been forewarned.

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Chapter 15

**Reunion**

Bella POV

I finally could feel the burning slowly recede from the tips of my toes and fingers. It slowly made its way down my arms and up my legs towards the center of my chest. My heart was beating wildly behind my ribs and felt as if someone took a white hot poker and started jabbing it inside me. The pain steadily increased as each heartbeat sped up.

The pain was not the only thing to increase though and I found that I could think around the pain. I could hear the soft scratching sounds of rodents scurrying about. I heard the moaning and low hisses of pain from the others now turning. They had long ago lost their voices and the venom had yet to repair their vocal chords. It was just as well, the screaming had been grating on my newly improved hearing, and each sound was like nails on a chalk board, both high pitched and irritating.

My sense of smell had developed as well and I could smell the

sweetest, most tantalizing scent in the world. It was a mixture of the richest chocolate, and sweets that I have ever smelled. I could only imagine how it would taste.

Finally, my heart took off like a rocket as the pain hit a new high. It started beating off rhythm, then skipping every other beat, then, finally, only beating once every couple of seconds. It only took a few more minutes before my heart finally gave out all together and then there was complete silence. I lay there for what could have been minutes or hours, just sensing my new body and how I now felt. If I did not know any better, I would think I looked like someone had flayed me alive and all that was left would be a charcoaled form of what use to be me. Surprisingly, I could remember everything. I thought I would lose those memories. Though it was like looking through aged glass that was distorted and hard to see through, I had lost nothing.

I heard someone cautiously approach me, slowly coming forward inch by inch. I opened my eyes for the first time and I could see everything. It was night but it was so bright that it looked like a full moon, despite the fact that the only things in the sky were little specks of lights gleaming down upon us. Instead of the normal darkness that my human eyes would have seen, my new vampire eyes could pick out every detail in the purple shadows. Even the darkest night now I realized would be nothing less than that. This all took me about one tenth of a second to realize and less than that to look at the slight movement I spotted in my peripheral vision.

It was Jasper, but not as I had ever witnessed him before. The crimson eyes I remembered from before were nothing like the orbs I now viewed. They swirled with shades of red and orange, outlined by a black rim.

He stood there in a half crouch and shirtless, waiting for me to make a move. He was one scary son of a bitch with scars that crisscrossed his entire body all the way up his neck and even a few on his face. I made no move, though my instincts were screaming at me to either get away from him as fast as I could, or to crouch and prepare to fight. I knew it was not right, that I was the one who was in control, not my instincts, and I refused to allow myself to run on pure impulse alone. I just stared at him and cocked my head to the side waiting patiently for him to realize that I had no intentions of attacking him.

He finally stood straight with a perplexed expression. "How's it possible for ya to be so calm? I've never seen such a tame newborn, 'specially one just wakin' up from the change. So com'mon little newborn show me what'cha can do" he started taunting me. He continued, saying what a tame little newborn I was and how easy it would be to break me. Finally, I got annoyed and started growling at him. He just cracked a smile, and chuckled.

"Do you mind? I really don't appreciate you talking about me like that. I can hear everything you're saying and it's annoying. My name is Bella, by the way, not newborn," I griped at him.

He only laughed harder. "That, Sug', was the point. An' yet yer only growlin' an' not attackin' me. How truly disappointin'," he mocked me.

I did not even have a chance to think before my inner demon took over. It reminded me of an out of body experience I once read about. My body reacted before my mind could even catch up to what was going on. I did not even have time to try and talk myself out of attacking him as human me would have done. I just saw red and that was it. I went straight for his throat, releasing a vicious growl as I lunged. He easily dodged my attack with a huge grin on his face and before I could even blink he had me pinned to the ground with no chance of escape. He leaned in smirking before whispering in my ear, "Well now, that's more like it. Now, when I let'cha up, follow ma' lead." He winked before loosening his grip.

I was standing on the other side of the room before the thought even registered in my mind. This was definitely going to take time to adjust. I cocked my head to the side waiting and sent him as much curiosity as I could. He quirked his finger and motioned for me to follow him. I made my way to him, finally having a chance to look at the others who were still in the pain of changing. Jasper turned and made his way out of the barn with me following closely at his heels. I peeked around his frame and saw a small Hispanic woman. She looked no older than myself but gave off an air of superiority. She did not even bother to look away from whatever had her attention.

Jasper stopped, bowing his head slightly, "Mistress, this un' woke early. I'm gonna take her inta' town an' let her feed. It's still a good day a'fore the others wake." I cringed at the thought of hunting humans, there was no way in hell I was going to take someone's life. If the Cullens could survive on animals then, damn it, I could, too.

The woman just stared without making a sound, appearing to be deep in thought. After several minutes of deliberation she finally came to a decision. "Fine, you may take her to feed, but not the town we had planned. I don't want them anxious about any disappearances before the rest wake. Make sure she is well fed. She will be able to help with the others once they wake." He just nodded his head in acknowledgement and replied, "Yes, Mistress."

He turned abruptly and started running north. I followed behind not making a peep until we were out of hearing range. Finally, I stopped, not even waiting for Jasper to turn before I tried to make it damn clear there would be no humans on the menu tonight.

"Jasper, I'm not going to eat any humans. So if you could please show me to the closest populated area of deer I'd be grateful," I spoke to him in a normal voice even though he was several hundred feet in front of me, knowing he could easily hear what I was saying.

He just stared at me slack jawed, not able to form a sentence. I had a feeling this was not going to be good, or maybe it was the juju he was throwing at me consisting of complete disbelief and a little irritation. _Aw crap_. "First, yer only gonna refer to me by ma' givin' name if'n no one can hear. Anyone else around, an' I mean anyone, ya' only refer ta' me as Major. Second, Sug', yer gonna eat, an' it ain't gonna be no stinkin' deer. Yer m'brothers mate, an' ya' need ta' be as strong as yer opponents or ya' gonna get yerself, an' by proxy m'brother, killed. There's no way I'm'a lettin' that happen. Now I guarantee that them other newborns ain't gonna be eatin' no damn deer, only human blood is gonna be enough. Where'd ya' get that crazy ass idea anyway?"

There was a fire in his eyes and I knew to disagree would be a fool's errand to try and sway him but I could not allow myself to eat a human, it just did not feel right. "I knew a vampire once. He only lived off the blood of animals. It can be done, and I want to do it. I don't want to kill anyone," I pretty much whined out, hoping that this would have an effect, no such luck.

Jasper growled at me, "You'll learn yer place. I am yer senior officer, an' you'll obey me. There'll be no poutin' an' no whinin'. If y'were anyone else, I woulda' ripped an arm or more off already, understand? Maria cannot know ya' mean anymore ta' me than any other newborn. So get it through yer head now, cause' in front'a her I will have ta' punish ya' fer yer insubordination, an' I won't like doin' it, but I won't put m'brother's life at risk."

I nodded my head, I got it loud and clear. This was not the Jasper he would become, this was the very unpolished version, long before Alice or the Cullens. "Yes sir, I understand Major."

He nodded, "better, keep it in yer mind. Now, no fussin', ya' need ta' eat an' we need ta' get back a'fore the others wake." He turned and continued north and I waited a moment before running after him.

Running was the most simple yet most amazing feeling, and being able to run without the worry of falling made it that much better. I was no longer clumsy and the feeling of the wind whipping past me as I ran behind Jasper thrilled me to no end. The sensation was so much better then when I would catch a ride on Assward's back. Sure, it had been an adrenalin rush, but now that I was a vampire I could truly appreciate the freedom I felt.  
I could tell we were approaching the town when I could start to smell the most delicious fragrances on the breeze. They sent my throat ablaze, like someone sticking a blow torch down my throat. Up until now I had easily ignored the nagging burning in my throat, it had been nothing more than the feeling I would receive of a sore throat when I was human. I now understood Assward's first reaction to me. I could only imagine how many times worse it would be if I found a singer. It was amazing I was still alive after just our first meeting, but then when he sucked James' venom out of my veins. I should be dead several times over now.

Jasper turned to me, and ordered that I hold my breath, otherwise I would end up massacring the entire town and not just taking out a few people. This still did not sit right with me, I wanted to desperately to follow the Cullens' diet, but I also refused to take myself away from my mate or be the cause of his death. Jasper was right after all, I needed to be as strong as the others or I would not stand a chance. There was no way that Jasper or Peter would be able to protect me all the time. He motioned me to follow him closer to the center of town, using the alley ways and shadows to stay hidden from any wandering eyes. "Now, ya' stay here an' I'll go get ya' someone appatizin'. Since ya' seem ta' have a care not ta' eat an innocent human, I'll be nice an' get'cha a somebody who's not so nice."

I just nodded to him and stayed in the shadows. If it had to be like this, I think I could live with myself if the person was a criminal and I am sure that there had to be plenty around. I could be like Assward was, a vigilante, only going after bad guys. Then when we got away from here, I could start eating animals. I mentally nodded to myself, satisfied with my idea. It was not the best way but it would have to do for now. It only took a few minutes before Jasper was back with two men and a smirk on his face. He dropped both men on the ground without any care for them and grinned at me. "Here ya go, Sug'. This un' was about to rape a woman, and this un's a known bank and train robber, a known killer, an' I have one more for ya. He's this un's accomplice," he explained as he nudged the second man. "Keep holdin' yer breath an' once I get back, we will run outta town so ya can get yer fill." I just nodded in understanding.  
It did not take him long to grab the third guy and bring him back, then he took the other two and ran back south the way we had come.

We stopped about fifty miles outside of the town, by a small river. Jasper unceremoniously dropped his cargo to the ground then stepped back about fifty feet from me. "Ok, all yer's jus', please, try not ta' get too messy." He winked at me and ran another several hundred feet from me, giving the newborn plenty of room.

I took my first breath and was hit with the scent of the three humans in front of me. It was indescribable! They smelt like the most tantalizing and tempting things I had ever come across, each one different in their flavor. My body reacted before my brain even had a chance to give any argument about what I was about to do. I greedily grabbed the first man and bit into his neck a little too hard, nearly decapitating him. The blood rushed into my mouth and down my throat cooling the burn like water to a thirsty man that has been wandering the desert for days. The taste was nothing like I had imagined and did not last nearly long enough. I threw him to the side, lunging for the second one. I did better biting into him, but again the blood just did not last long enough. The third finally cooled my throat, it felt better than it had when I first awoke, there was hardly any tingle left, and I felt well sated. Actually, I felt really sloshy now, and just a bit like a tick full with blood.  
I just stood looking at the corpses of the men I had just murdered, wanting to feel something – regret, sadness, anything – but the only emotions I could register were contentment and warm. I heard Jasper slowly approaching, taking his time assessing my mood and whether I was liable to attack him. Finally, he was standing beside me looking down on the men in front of us. "Sug, yer throwin' an' awful lotta confusion out there. What's the matter?"

I was starting to get upset at my apathy of the dead men in front of me. "I thought I would feel bad for killing them, regretful and sorry that I had to do it. I feel nothing but contentment. I feel worse about not feeling anything than I do for them," I explained.

"Ya have ta realize yer not human now. Yer suppose ta kill 'em, it's instinct ta do so. Humans are our natural source a' food. Does a lion feel sorry for killin' its prey? No, it does what instinct an' nature tell it ta. Now, I understand ya not wantin' ta kill but yer not ever gonna feel sorry if ya do. It's what we're suppos'ta do. "

This was not how it was suppose to be. I was supposed to be sorry for what I did, to feel regret, be remorseful. I stood there just analyzing my new vampire self. It was so very odd, I still had my morals, I knew it was wrong to take a life, and I did not want to do so, at least mentally. My vampire self could care less, it wanted blood, needed it. It had no conscience and morals, it killed indiscriminately and felt no pity, remorse or regret for its actions. I knew that I had a decision to make. I was going to be a killer, no I was a killer, but I would only hunt those who deserved death. I could see now how easily vampires could lose their humanity, and I understood why the Cullens clung so hard onto what humanity they did find in their endless existence.

"Jasper," I whispered out, "how does it work with your empathy? You feel everything they feel. Even if we don't feel sorry for the loss of lives, it must still be a burden."  
He sighed, "It can be. Most of the time I put 'em ta sleep a'fore I kill 'em. I'm still not sorry when it's over, but I have a hard time feelin' their pain while I feed."  
I nodded.

He was not ready to change his diet but I knew deep down it was wearing on him. When he was ready I knew of a certain little pixie vampire who would be waiting for him.

He nudged my shoulder, "Come on, I'll show ya how ta dispose of the bodies, then we need ta get back. The rest'll be wakin' up soon."

I nodded and followed him, carrying the bodies to the side of the stream where there were a few trees growing. He pulled one of the trees up by the roots and pushed one man in, placing the tree back on top of him. He placed the second man under some boulders and the other we buried several feet underground. "If yer in town, jus' make it look like a killin' that a human would do. Take any money an' such so they'll think someone robbed an' killed em'. We can't afford ta have any suspicion put on us about strange

disappearances or killin's. The Volturi will come back an' end all'a us if humans start noticin' things. Now, a'fore we head back you an' I need ta have ourselves a lil' chat."  
I just nodded and waited for the inevitable questions that he would ask. He stood there, gathering his thoughts for a moment. "How do ya know me an' why're ya so comfortable 'round me? Ya should be scared out'cha mind."

I tried to think of a way to explain without giving away too much. "Let's just say that if vampires can exist, there are other forces out there that are more powerful. I do know you, just from another time, one that may come to pass, but has not yet."

He just stared for a long moment before responding incredulously, "Ya mean ta say that yer from the future?" Oh yeah, he was skeptical.

"Why not? Vampires are supposed to be fictitious, and here we stand What's to say what is and isn't possible."

He huffed, "Fine, ya gotta point. So, ya know me from a future time."

I nodded, "I can't tell you any more than that. If I do, things may not happen as they are suppose to. If I tell you one thing it may completely change the future, and I can't do that. Please, just believe me. I honestly don't know what is going to happen."

"I understand. Now I need to tell ya some things. When ya see Peter for the first time, yer gonna have a hard time controlin' ya'self. Let me do the talkin' an' trust me, I only have the best interest for Peter, and thus ya'self, in mind. Maria can't know yer his mate. It usually means death ta the both of ya. In war ya can't have distractions an' that's exactly what a mate is in Maria's eyes, a distraction. Pretend ta be affronted by me and talk back jus' once after we get back ta the main camp. I'll take care of the rest."

"I understand."

He nodded, "Good, now let's get back." He ran ahead of me leading us both back south to the barn and the other newborns that were still changing.

We arrived to find Maria pacing in front of the barn, obviously put out that we had taken longer then she expected. "Major, where have you been? The first of them will be waking up soon, and you know I cannot control that many by myself," she growled. Then she turned to look at me "You, newborn, what is your name?"

I looked down at the ground, deciding to refer to her as I had heard Jasper do before. "Bella, mistress."

"You will assist the Major with the other newborns on their first hunt." She waved her hand at me signaling she was done and I was to leave her and Jasper alone. I turned without looking up and made my way back into the barn where the others were still writhing. There were seven others in total, three other women and four men, they were just starting to hit the point where their heartbeats were speeding up. From what I just went through I guessed that they had several hours left, so I went and sat against the far wall. I could faintly hear growls and moaning from outside. I could only guess as to what they were doing and I really did not care to hear any more so I just stared at the wall across from me trying to tune out the noise.

Eventually I succeeded. I had ended up losing myself in thought. I was searching my new brain for old memories to occupy my time, specifically memories from my first meeting with Peter. I came across a band that seemed to surround my mind it reminded me of a bubble that enclosing my brain. Every time I poked at it, the bubble would expand a little. I soon found myself playing with it until I could feel it outside of my body. I laughed a little to myself, thinking of the bubble boy. I was my own personal bubble girl. I could not physically see the bubble but mentally I could feel it surrounding me. I decided to play with it a bit further, trying to make it visible. It was not hard really. I thought of wanting to see it and poof there it was, hardly noticeable but there.

I noticed that while I played with my bubble that there was no sound coming into it from the outside. Thank God, I did not want to hear any more from Jasper and Maria. That was horrible, especially since all I could think of was Alice. I felt like I should go out there and beat the shit out of Maria for having sex with my friend's mate. I constantly had to remind myself that Jasper had not met her yet, in fact, she probably was not even born yet.

I noticed that Jasper had come into the barn. He started looking all around at each wall it was like he could not see me. I stood up and started waving my hands to get his attention, still nothing. Oh this was fantastic! I walked up behind him and yelled his name but he did not even flinch. So he could not hear me either, I was perfectly protected in my bubble. He started looking worried so I let the bubble snap back around my mind. It was easy, like all of physical actions I had made since waking I barely even had to consciously think about it. Once the bubble was gone I made sure to not startle him too badly. With his reflexes it would probably not be a good thing. "Major?" I whispered. He jumped away from me while turning in the air and crouching upon landing.

"Where were ya at?" he asked, astounded. I decided that showing him was better than telling him. I did not know where that cunt was and I did not want her to know that I was gifted. It probably would not end well. I pulled my bubble from my mind and left it clear, then motioned him to come closer while I pushed it out to him. I did not want him in it, so I was hoping that it would repel him. It did! I grinned as he was pushed back several feet. He had the strangest look on his face and then edged closer with is hand extended. It was not long before he found the outside of my bubble. "Amazin'," he breathed out in a whisper while following the contour of my bubble. When gently hit it to see what would happen and his hand bounced of like it was hitting a rubber wall. He just grinned even further so I decided to make the barrier visible to me which apparently made me invisible to him. It cut off all sound from the outside as well. He just stared at me but I could tell he was not seeing me, his mouth slightly agape. I pulled it back to my mind and he focused back on me. "Yer ta' tell no one cept' Peter 'bout this, understand?"

"Yes, Major," I nodded. I had figured that would be the case.

"If ya can do that, I'm willin' ta' bet'cha can do more with it. We'll explore this development later. Now, we have them ta tend ta them," he pointed to the newborns. A few of them had completed the change, their hearts stopping, and the rest were following closely. "Give 'em plenty a' room. Don't look em' in the eye an' don't get hurt. Pete'd never forgive me if ya did."

I went and stood on the far side of the barn, waiting for the first newborn to get up. It was a slow process. I was not an empath but even I could feel the confusion, it was thick in the air. I just stayed in place and I let Jasper take control, staying out of his way. I had never thought that his gift could be so invasive but I could see the second he started controlling their emotions. They went from confusion to trust and wanting to please in rapid succession. Within a matter of minutes the newborns were all standing to the side of the barn, waiting for his command.

This was Maria's Major now, the God of War. I now understood, watching his power over the others, why he was so precious to her. When I met him as a Cullen, the only time he used his gift was to help calm them if the situation needed it. I would never have guessed just how strong it could be when he wanted it.

We took the newborns to the town that Maria and Jasper and decided to turn into a feeding ground. It was a small farming community really, with a population of only around seventy people. It was just the right amount for us to easily destroy when we were finished. I tried to keep away, but the draw of the blood was too strong and my inner beast demanded that I partake in the massacre. Jasper and Maria fed as well. Once I came back to my senses I went and found Jasper where he was rounding up the newborns that were now finished. Once they were under control he had me go around, setting the entire place aflame, even all the barns and outbuildings. He wanted it to look like the fire had spread out of control consuming everything in its path, we left the bodies were they lay letting the fire do our work for us. He lead us south and I knew this was it I would see my Peter again, soon.

We had run for about four hundred miles south east before I started smelling other vampires. I guessed that we were closing in on the camp. I was excited. Had my heart still beat it would have been racing a mile a minute, but even vampirism could not get rid of the butterflies in my stomach. It would not be long now. I had let my body take over running wile my mind kept imagining our reunion, making the anticipation that much worse.

Finally, I spotted the tents in the distance and I could smell Peter's scent on the wind. It was a million times better with my now sensitive nose. Once we came to a stop, Jasper had us all line up for his Captain to look us over. I had to fight all my instincts to keep myself from jumping on Peter and claim him as mine. "This is ma' Captain. Ya'll will obey him jus' as ya obey me. If ya don't ya will be punished, an' it won't be somethin' ya will easily forget," he said in a commanding voice as he sent a large dose of fear and a need to please at us, ensuring our cooperation.

Maria stepped forward and spoke to Peter, "Captain, my Major has informed me that you have been feeling lonely. Which of these women would you like? You've done well and deserve a bitch to warm your bed."

I tried really hard to keep in the growl that rose in my throat at the thought of one of the other women with my mate. It was no use though, Peter, Maria, and Jasper all looked at me. I kept my eyes trained on the ground. Peter stepped forward and roughly griped my chin making my gaze meet his beautiful red eyes. He winked at me covertly before responding to Maria, "This one seems feisty, I'd enjoy breakin' her, if it so pleases ya, mistress."

Maria just laughed, the shrill sound making me want to rip her fucking head off. "Fine, you may have her. She will be your responsibility to train. Make sure you punish your bitch for her outburst" she grinned evilly as she answered. Just then, I felt Jasper send me a dose of rebelliousness and the filter from my brain to my mouth disappeared. "Fuck you, I'm not anyone's bitch."

Maria growled at me and ordered Peter, "Captain, take your whore and put her into her place. That is an order. The next time I see her she better be well mannered. Take your time with her though, make sure she understand who owns her now." At that she laughed again.

Peter nodded, "Yes, mistress. I'll be sure ta' do that." He roughly grabbed my arm and drug me away from the camp. We were about fifty miles out when we stopped. There in front of us was an old hunting cabin in a copse of trees hidden in a valley. It was nothing special from the outside but the inside was furnished and it looked like someone had spent time fixing it up. I did not have a chance for more than a brief glance around before I found myself pinned to the floor by my mates body.

Peter looked down at me with hard, black, feral eyes made so from smelling my arousal. I was already wet from anticipation and he wasted no time in crashing his lips to mine. As his hands roamed my body, I could feel his hard cock as he pushed his hips against mine. One hand came up and ripped my shirt off. I returned the favor and I eagerly ripping his off then let my hands roam his body, learning the planes of his muscular chest.

He pulled back for a moment to allow himself room to quickly remove my pants. He started kissing my neck, working his way down my shoulder, then my breast taking a nipple into his greedy mouth sucking and rolling it around his tongue, while using the free hand to fondle the other. All I could do was let out a moan, but I needed more. He switched breasts taking the other in his mouth, while moving his free hand down my stomach and on to the aching need between my legs. I grabbed the top of his pants shredding the fastening and then pushing them down as far as I could, taking my foot, pushing them down out of the way freeing his hardened member.

He started rubbing my clit, playing with the little bud, and finally sticking in one finger, making me gasp. I took his large cock in my hand moving it up and down, using the moisture that it was leaking as lubrication. He bucked his hip into my hand as he inserted another finger, preparing me for when he would claim me as his. I did not know how much more I would be able to take. "Pl-please P-Peter! I need m-more," I gasped out.  
He lifted his head and looked straight at me with his powerful gaze. "Who da'ya belong to?" he growled out while slowly moving his fingers in me while rubbing my clit with his thumb.

"P-please, y-you, on-only you for eternity," I managed to get out between the intense pleasure and overwhelming need to feel my mate buried inside me.

He snarled, moving to position himself at my entrance and moving one hand to cup my cheek and told me passionately, "That's right darlin', yer MINE!" As he said this he pushed himself into me. It was the most splendid sensation of pleasure and pain. The pain, however, was very small compare to the intense pleasure I felt at being connected with my mate.

He kept a fast rhythm pounding into me and I met him equally with each thrust. This was not slow and tender but rather primal, animalistic; a vampire claiming its mate. I was almost over the edge when he grabbed my breast, tweaking my nipple, while licking and kissing my neck. It pushed me over and during my orgasm he bit my neck, injecting his venom and marking me as his for all eternity. The burning of his venom intensifying my orgasm, making my muscles tense around his cock and I could tell that he was about to go over as well. I squeezed harder making him growl out in the pleasure of his orgasm. Watching him come undone I felt the primal need to mark him, as he had me. I picked the spot right over his dead heart and bit down.

There he would forever carry my mark. I was now his, as he was mine, and together we would be able to face anything.

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So there you have it...:D Bella and Peteypire together...awwwwww so cute.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, I was so amazed at the response for the last chapter, I hope you all will enjoy this one as well,

this is my first full lemon so not to harsh please...:)

I have a lot more planned out for this story so stay with me guys, I think you will enjoy it. ;P


	16. Lose Ends

**Fianally!**

**A huge thank you to my Beta Karisgrace for reviewing and correcting mistakes, you are awesome!**

This a bit shorter than my previous chapters, it was either make it shorter or extremely long, and I wanted to get it to you all so it ended up being a tad bit shorter.

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Chapter 16

**Lose Ends**

Peter POV

I lay content with my mate wrapped tightly in my arms, lettin' a purr roll through my chest like lion baskin' in his glory. I had never felt so whole an' content before, even in my very dimmed human memories. Isabella was just as content, purring as well at our still joined bodies, just enjoyin' our connection. I thought back to just after Jasper had left with the queen bitch to go recruit more humans; a trip I knew would include my Isabella. It had taken all my will power an' discipline to not follow behind, but I knew that the consequences would'a been severe at best.

~_Flashback~_

_I was pissed and takin' it out on the last batch a newborns. The males had been quick to pick up __what I was trying to teach them__ and for the most part were passable fighters. I felt at this point that they had a fifty-fifty chance __of surviving a real attack__, which was damn good for bein' just a week old. With more trainin' they should work out just fine. The women on the other hand had no skill whatsoever. They would not survive their first encounter with our enemies an' this was unacceptable. My mate would be countin' on their abilities to keep us alive, an' they would not even be able to survive themselves, let alone fight for us. I decided that a little bit of fear would inspire them to reach a higher level of fightin' skills. _

_I growled at the two females, one a platinum blonde and the other a dark brown, who were circlin' each other like a couple of cobras readyin' to strike. They looked good so far but I knew soon as one went to strike they would just fall apart and start slapin' and scratchin' at each other like they would've in their human lives. Fat lot of good it'd do them here. A couple of the males came up behind me to watch. It was almost comical the amount of inadequacy that they had. _

_I growled again, this time louder, and jumped in the middle, breakin' them apart. They jumped away from me, starin' me down. "Ya two're jus' pathetic. If'n y'all don't start tryin' harder, I'm gonna have ta kill ya myself. Y'all're both good for nothin' at this point, 'cept a quick fuck an' then maybe firewood, which is what ya both will be if ya don't start puttin' some effort inta fightin'. This ain't no picnic! This is survival a'the fittest an' by ma' thinkin', y'all're both at the bottom'a the barrel."_

_The brown haired woman growled and attempted to lunge at me. I quickly grabbed her arm, twistin' it behind her back until she started whimperin'. Then I quickly decapitated her, throwin' her good for nothin' head to the other side of the training area and lettin' her body fall to the ground in front of me. The blonde just stood there staring wide-eyed an' innocent. "Now, that was a big mistake on yer part, chiquita. Ya jus' earned ya'self a damn good punishment," I said while shaking my finger at the head that was staring back at me wide eyed and fearful. "Yer damn lucky I don't start a fire an' throw yer good-fer-nothin' body in it." I turned to one of the newborn males behind me and ordered, "I wan'cha ta take her an' pull her apart completely while her head is a'sittin' all pretty-like on a log watchin'. Then, yer gonna burry her head in the ground fer the night. Tomorrow we'll see if'n she's learned her lesson." He quickly nodded and stepped forward to collect the female's body and head. If she didn't learn then she was as good as dead. I really didn't want to kill her but I refused to endanger my mate with inadequate fighters. _

_I turned back to the remainin' female who stood their gapping at me, and shiverin'. "Now then, yer gonna' spar with Jose. If ya loose, ya get the same punishment as that'un." I nodded in the direction that the newborn went. "Ya only get three tries so I suggest ya make the best'a them, an' if ya lose, well, ya best jus' not find out. Am I understood?" I asked the newborn, whose name I think was Charlotte or something similar. She nodded her head in understandin', and Jose stepped in to the training area with a smirk plastered on his face. He was a bit of a sadistic fucker and enjoyed tormentin' the younger newborns. He was a damn good fighter and I doubted she'd win but it would damn well give her incentive to try harder, and I could live with that. After that I left the area __and tried to distract myself__ to keep from thinkin' of my mate and what the hell was goin' on up in El Paso._

I pulled my head back looking down at my vixen. She was gonna be hellfire, and it would be the time of my very long life. I caught sight of my mark upon her otherwise pristine skin. Just lookin' at it made my cock twitch inside her tight sheath, and I elicited a moan of pleasure from my mate as I started moving inside of her once more. I captured her lips with mine, nibbling at her pouty bottom lip, then ran my tongue across to gain admittance to her glorious mouth. The taste of my Isabella was like no other. She was like fresh rain and a cool breeze comin' with the first showers in spring. I ran my hand down her side, squeezin' and cuppin' her amazin' ass, while slowly rockin' in and out of her while she moved rhythmically against me. She hitched a leg up over my arm allowin' me to penetrate her deeper. It was like comin' home after bein' lost alone in the world.

"God, woman! What ya do t'me." I breathed out while poundin' into her tightness like a parched man runnin' to water. I reached down to her little pearl and started rubbin' her gently at first, then gradually adding pressure. She was so damn tight I didn't think I could hold on much longer.

"O-oh g-god!" she screamed out, while leavin' deep scratches on my back. It was just the right amount of pleasure and pain to send me over the edge with her. I pulled her tighter to me, if that was even possible, while buryin' my head into her neck restrainin' myself from bitin' her where the others would be able to see.

For the next several minutes we just lay there, enjoyin' each other. Before long we would have to go back to camp. Although Maria was expecting us to be away for a while, she wouldn't wait too long before coming to find us, and she fully expected Bella to be thoroughly punished for her outburst. There was also the need to run back to El Paso. We had some loose ends that required tyin' up before goin' back to camp an' we were hard pressed for time. I wanted nothin' more than to spend the rest of my life with my beautiful mate away from the horrors of this life and that's what life was like with Maria; a constant hell. We would just have to wait for that a little longer.

I pulled away from my mate which evoked a groan of displeasure from both of us. "I know darlin'. I wish we could stay like this, too, but I have a feelin' that we have many things ta talk about," I explained quietly.

She gave a slight nod of acceptance, but I could still clearly see the fire and passion behind her eyes, it made me groan. I would love nothin' more than to continue what we had been doing. Most vampires had decades to get to know their mates; unfortunately we were on temporary time constraints.

"First off, we need ta go back ta town an' pick up some'a yer belongin's. Second, ya need ta tie up any loose ends ya might have left. Plus, I have a feelin' that you were a'ready prepared fer bein' changed, so ya need ta put the rest'a yer plan inta action," I said, explaining my plans for the immediate future. I still had no idea how she knew about vampires, but ever since we met in the woods for the first time my intuition told me that there was more to the story than I could even imagin'.

Bella nodded her head in understanding, "That sounds like a good plan and you're right, I do have things that I have to tie up. First, I need to write a letter to my lawyer letting him know that I have urgent family business, and to look after my property while I am gone. Is there any way to know how long I can tell him?"

"No darlin', there's no way ta know. It's best jus' t'leave it open ended an' tellin' him you've no idea jus' yet as ta how long it'll be. Somethin' 'bout not havin' a way ta contact ya would also be best. Is there anythin' else ya might need ta do? 'Cause this'll be yer only chance fer a while," I made sure she understood this.

She smiled faintly while kissin' my neck with ardor and assuring me, "No, Mr. Whitlock, I think that will cover it."

I playfully growled at her, "Now darlin', y'know that's playin' with fire!"

She had a cocky little grin on her face as she winked then batted her eyelashes at me. "Why Mr. Whitlock," she exclaimed in a put-on and uppity southern accent, "I surly don't know what you're talking about."

I just laughed a little before humoring her, "Sure ya don't, darlin'. Now, how 'bout we move onta other subjects'a interest? How 'bout'cha tell me jus' how a human knew 'bout vampires an' how ya knew t'be prepared ta disappear from the human world." All traces of humor left her face with my questions. She gave a little sigh and a slight nod of acquiescence.

She smiled faintly, starin' off into space before tryin' to tell me what I asked. "Peter, honestly I have no idea how much I can tell you. The future is always changing and I don't want to inadvertently change something that needs to happen. I can tell you about my past and how I met Jasper, but there're still many things that I'm not sure if it would be safe to tell."

I just nodded my head in acceptance and tried to reassure her. "Darlin', I understand. Sometimes with m'gift, it allows me ta know possible future events an' many times, if'n I were ta tell someone, it would change the outcome. So jus' lemme know what you're comfortable with. I can accept some things'll be left in the dark."

She let out a low sigh seeming to think about her past before continuin'. "Okay, well, the first thing you should know, and I'm sure if you've already figured this much out or not, but I'm not from this time period. Somehow I was thrown back in time. I was born, or I suppose I will be born, in 1986 in a little northwestern town called Forks. My parents decided to divorce when I was just a few months old. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona for the better part of my life. My mother, Renee, met a man named Phil and remarried, so I moved back to Forks, Washington to live with my father to give them space. While there I came to know a coven of vampires, well not a coven really, they are more like a family then most humans. Eventually, they became my second family. I was dating one of them, his name is Edward."

I felt a growl start and before I could stop it ripped out of my throat startlin' Isabella from her thoughts. I hugged her tightly "Sorry Darlin', jus' a knee-jerk reaction. I can barely think of another male vampire that close ta ya without feelin' completely jealous." She just smiled up at me.

"Peter, nothing will keep me from you. He did something to me that will take a long time for me to forgive, if I ever do, so don't worry about him. Anyway, on with my story. One day we went to play baseball, well they played baseball while I watched. Another coven heard the game and came to investigate. One of them was a tracker and saw me as the ultimate prey, a human pet of another coven, a larger more powerful coven." By this part of her story I was furious that she would be put in danger in such a way, that another coven would try to harm her just to see if they could. I tried control my rage while she continued her story. "Long story short, the vampire was destroyed but not before biting me. His venom was sucked out by Edward. He didn't want me to lose my soul by becoming a vampire." I just scoffed at the thought of my gorgeous mate not havin' a soul even as a vampire, _stupid boy_.

"After that, things were okay until my eighteenth birthday," she continued her story. "Alice, my best friend and sister, had a party for me. I ended up with a paper cut and one of the family members couldn't handle the blood. I guess after the incident it was decided safer for me if they moved away. Now, as for your other question, Alice has the ability to see possible future events, she saw my future move into the past and wrote me a few letters to prepare me for what would happen. I would've been extremely lost without her help."

I stood digestin' her story. It was fairly hard to believe but so is the existence of the mythical and here I stand. "Darlin', that's sure a story," I said after a minute.

She laughed a bit, "Yes, and if I hadn't lived it I would have a hard time believing it myself."

I kissed her hard, softenin' it toward the end and assured her, "But I'm sure glad yer here, darlin'. I'd be lost withou'cha."

Her smile brightened and she pulled me tightly to her, huggin' me for all she was worth. She's deceptively strong. "Easy darlin', yer damn strong right now," I chuckled at the look on her face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Peter. I didn't think," she apologized while she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, lookin' like a scolded child.

"It's a'right, darlin'," I reassured her with a smile. "You'll soon have it under control. Yer by far the calmest newborn I've ever seen. I wonder if it's 'cause ya knew 'bout us long a'fore ya were turned."

"Maybe," she shrugged her shoulders. "Alice always said she saw me as a vampire, so I accepted it long ago."

"Well darlin', I s'pose we should get headin'." I kissed her one last time before we separated from each other to get dressed.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

We made it to her ranch just after midnight. Everyone was long asleep which was perfect for us to get in and out unnoticed. Once in the house, we took our time just to relax for a moment. We went into her room and when she first breathed in the strong scent of her human self I had to hold in a laugh. Her expression was priceless, but I didn't say anythin'. She surprised me by letting out a little laugh, "Good lord, I smelt really, really good! No wonder Edward had a hard time with his bloodlust."

"Yeah, ya did, but now ya still smell amazin' an' I don't wanna take a bite out'a ya," I joked back. I then grabbed her arm, kissin' her hand and workin' my way up to her neck where I nipped her playfully. "On second thought, I'd actually love ta take a bite." she smacked me on the shoulder in retaliation, tryin' not to laugh.

I stood back and watched as she accessed a hidden safe and took out a few letters handin' them to me. "Those are from Alice," she explained offhandedly. "Go ahead and read them if you like. There's nothing in there that would affect the future, and they may give you some more information."

I took the letters from her and scanned the first one over. Some of it didn't make much sense, like GPS and the fact that this Alice signed her name as Whitlock-Cullen. I supposed there must be more than one Whitlock family in the world but as vampires highly doubtful. I decided to scan the second one before askin' about it. The second letter took me by surprise. This Alice was incredibly talented but I didn't like her already. She seemed uppity to me and I don't do uppity.

"Damn woman, yer rich!" I joked, reading the parts about the money Alice had apparently provided for my mate.

She laughed at me, "Like I said, if not for Alice I would have been in horrible trouble."

Another interesting fact caught my attention as I read. In addition to the name she signed, the way this Alice woman referred to Jasper sounded like she was personally familiar with him. I wanted to know more. "So, how does Alice know Jasper?"

Bella immediately looked up from what she was doing and her eyes widened. "Oh, I forgot about that. Well, I'm not sure if you should know yet or not but I'm sure you have a guess."

"Well, I can certainly guess, but I'd rather y'jus' tell me."

She huffed, "Fine, Jasper and Alice are mates."

It was what I had concluded and I wasn't thrilled, but it was nice knowin' that my brother had someone out there waitin' for him. "I see," I stated cautiously. "Does she make 'im happy?"

She came over and hugged me. "Yes, they are happy together, but it will be a while before they meet. I don't think she's even been born yet. I don't know much of Alice's history because she doesn't remember her human life at all."

I hugged her back tightly and sighed, "As long as he's as happy with her as I am with you, I'll be able ta tolerate her, I s'pose."

She laughed at me, "Peter, you'll like her. I've never met anyone who doesn't."

"We won't get on well, I jus' have a feelin'," I said with a slightly sour look. I was feelin' a bit grumpy all of a sudden when it came to thinkin' of this Alice woman. _Yep, definitely won't get on well._

She kissed me and pulled away to finish gettin' her things together. Once finished, she had a satchel full of clothin' and money. We made our way down to the study where she wrote to her lawyer explainin' her abrupt departure and some leaving him last minute instructions.

We had only been there for a little less than an hour before we left the ranch to drop the letter off at the man's office. Once finished with that little chore, we ran back toward our little cabin, making a quick detour to hunt before goin' back to hell.

We made it to the cabin by late afternoon the next day. We would be expected to be back at camp by early morning the day after so we spent the rest of our time explorin' each other and savorin' the precious few hours we had in our little piece of heaven.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was well after three in the mornin' when we finally came back to reality "Ya ready darlin'? We need t'go back or they'll come a'lookin' fer us. Then Maria'd punish us both," I said gloomily.

My mate let out a vicious growl at the mention of Maria. I knew the feelin' but I had to make it clear what would be involved in goin' back, includin' the necessity of givin' the utmost respect to one of the lowest bein's in existence. "I know darlin'. I understand, believe me, but'cha need ta show her respect, even if ya don't really feel it, or she's gonna force me ta punish ya an' I'll have no choice." Her growling slowly calmed but she had a fierce look in her eyes that I knew would be hard for her to let go.

"I want to kill that bitch!" she growled out, venom runnin' down her chin.

"I know darlin', lots'a people do, but now's not the time," I tried to console her.

"When?" she demanded.

I chuckled darkly and shared with her what I'd learned from my gift, "As soon as we have a chance ta, won't be more'n a year. Right now we can't touch her cause' her sisters would have reason ta retaliate. But they're plottin' against her, an' m'gift says that a'fore too long she's gonna get rid'a them. Then we'll get rid'a her fer good. Just have patients an' try, darlin'. I know it's hard, but the alternative is worse. Jasper's startin' ta see the truth 'bout Maria, and it won't be long now, darlin'."

"I'll try, Peter," she promised, "but I'm not sure I can keep my temper under control."

I kissed her soundly and hugged her to me. "I know y'can. Jus' remember what'll happen if ya can't. It'll kill me ta have ta punish ya an' I know ya don't wanna hurt me in any way, just as I don't wanna hurt ya."

We quickly dressed and ran to camp. Jasper was waitin' for us at the perimeter. "Brother," he nodded his head toward me, ignorin' Bella completely. "Mistress Maria sent me ta make certain that yer new bitch was properly punished." I knew this was necessary, as the other newborns were in hearin' distance as well as Maria, but at the moment I wanted nothin' more than to beat Jasper for his remarks to my mate. I quickly got myself under control before answerin' him. By this time he quirked an eyebrow at me, promptin' me to hurry.

"Yes, a'course. This'n won't be insolent ta the mistress anytime soon," I assured. Bella tried hard to look remorseful, like someone who had been thoroughly chastised.

Jasper smirked, obviously feelin' what she did. I'm sure she was anythin' but remorseful. He nodded his head, playin' his part well. "I'll let the mistress know that she's been properly punished an' is feelin' quite remorseful of'er actions. Trainin' starts in an hour. Don't be late!" he ordered briskly.

Jasper turned abruptly and walked back to Maria's tent, while I roughly grabbed Bella's arm for show. I pulled her behind me to my tent which was located on the far side of the camp. Once inside I let her know what would be expected of her. I didn't want her surprised when it came time for trainin'. She would be in Jasper's group while I trained the other half, far away from them. There was just no way that I would be able to refrain from showin' some sort of emotion if I saw her fightin' with another newborn, and the last thing we wanted was for Maria to find out she was my mate. No good would come from that, even if Bella was too valuable to dispose of, Maria would find a way to hurt us.

Once in the tent I dropped her arm and immediately grabbed her up in a passionate kiss, holding her tightly to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pullin' herself up and wrappin' her long legs around my waist. I nipped at her lips as she started movin' against me. As much as my body was tellin' me to continue pleasurin' my mate, I finally pulled away.

"Bella darlin', I'm sorry, I should'na done that. There're a few things we need ta' go over," I sighed regretfully. She slid her legs down from my waist, takin' a step back and starin' me down with black, lust filled eyes, and a slight growl buildin' in her throat. "I'll make it up t'ya, sweetheart," I promised, hopin' that would satisfy her for the time bein'. It was too easy to forget that she was a newly made vampire less than a week old. Most of the time, she acted years older than she was. Finally, her eyes started to lighten up a bit and her growl faded away as she got control of her anger. "Yer amazin', darlin'. Most newborns would'a ripped me a new un' by now," I joked with her, tryin' to lighten the mood a bit. She rolled her beautiful eyes at me, obviously not findin' any humor in my statement.

"So?" She demanded, obviously still pissed. She had one hand on her waist, one foot tapin' rhythmically against the ground in agitation and her eyes slightly squinted with a little wrinkle above her eyebrows. The only thing I could think about was that I was in serious trouble and had a lot of kissin' up to do. I did my best to ignore the outward signs of her displeasure with me and focus on the matter at hand.

"Well, first off, I jus' wanna let'cha know that I'm not gonna be the one t'do yer trainin'. Jasper's gonna do that, at least with the physical aspect. I can help ya with yer gift," I tried to reassure her.

"I jus' can't bear the thought'a seein' others tryin' ta harm ya, an' ma' reaction would draw too much attention ta us. Plus, I can't look at'cha like yer jus' one'a the others an' treat ya' as such. Now Jasper, on the other hand, is likely gonna go extra hard on ya ta make sure ya can take care'a yerself. We won't be around ya a hundred percent'a the time. He's gonna have ta treat'cha jus' like every other newborn here, an' that ain't much better'n dirt. It's gonna piss ya off like crazy but please respect him, even if'n ya wanna attack him instead. Otherwise he's gonna have ta punish ya."

As I had been goin' over my little speech, I noticed her eyes softenin' up and the little wrinkle go away. The corners of her lips were twitchin' as she kept tryin' not to smile. "Peter," she said sweetly, "I know, and I'm not saying I won't lose my temper, it's really hard for me to keep it in check sometimes, but even if I do, I won't hold it against Jasper. First, because he's your brother, but also because I know and respect him from before I came here. I understand that we are all playing these roles in order to survive, but they are nothing more than a façade and I will try to keep that in mind. But if I do mess up and am punished then so be it," she assured me confidently.

"As long as ya keep that in mind. But sweetheart, when I say punishment, it ain't jus' a slap on the wrist or a spankin' I mean. I'm talkin' 'bout torture. Maria takes great pleasure in the pain'a others an' any opportunity she gets, she takes it out on the newborns. She feels it's the best way ta keep'em in line." I could see a shiver run up her spine at my description of what punishment meant around here.

"For instance, if a soldier tries ta run, once we catch'em, they are torn apart an' brought back ta camp. Then they're put back t'gether for Maria ta sentence so she can make an example outta'em. They're then slowly torn apart again, an' she takes a hot iron an' sears the torn pieces over 'n over 'til the newborn is beggin' fer death. If she's feelin' particularly merciful, she gives it to'em, but only by throwin'em in the fire, piece by piece, savin' the head fer last ta make sure they feel the pain. Sometimes she'll keep the head an' make'em suffer longer before finally endin' ' has dozens'a torture methods that she created over the centuries," I finally finished.

I could feel a shiver go up my spine just thinkin' about the thousands of newborns that have died at our hands. Jasper and I try to make it painless as possible, but we can only do so much. That woman is a sadistic bitch and I will gladly be dancin' around her funeral pyre when the time comes. I was lost in the nightmare that was my life when I felt Bella gently wrap her arms around my neck, pullin' me closer to her as she gently cried into my shoulder, weepin' for all the horrid things I've endured over the years. I could only imagine how Jasper coped with havin' to feel evrythin'. We stayed like that for several hours, her just comfortin' me while I tried to unsuccessfully pull myself away from the nightmare that haunted me. Its times like those that I'm glad to no longer be human, if I could sleep the nightmares would surely have made me go mad.

XXXXX

When the sun started comin' over the horizon, Bella and I were cuddled on my cot, just holdin' each other one last time 'fore we had to separate. Most trainin' sessions would last all day, only takin' a couple of hours to let the newborns cool down before startin' again. We would keep this pace up till the newborns were sufficiently trained, then we would back down to trainin' about fourteen hours a day, givin' them ten hours of free time. Once we had a known battle commin' up we would go back to trainin' twenty-two hours unless we went huntin'. Then they got the day off, but we only took them huntin' once a week, if they were lucky.

"Well darlin', we need ta get out there," I said regretfully. She griped me tighter, not ready to leave my side and I was feelin' the same way. "Jus' remember, I love ya an' nothin' that happens'll change that."

"I love you too, Peter," she promised, playfully kissed me on the nose, grinnin' like a kid that just stole a cookie.

_This is gonna be a hell of a challenge fer both of us._

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_**AN: **First off I want to appoligize to everyone for delaying this story for so long, and also thank you for sticking with it, life has been pretty chaotic with finishing school and taking certification tests, and now I'm studying to take my ACT's which I convienently skipped while in high school. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted I'm currently working on it so it should be out in the next few days.** I promise you that this story will have an ending, there will be no stopping in the middle to leave you hanging..**  
_


	17. Time Flies

**AN: All Characters are belong to SM, I get the story line though! ;)**

_Thank you so much to my Beta Karisgrace without her generous time you all would be trying to read around poor grammer and half baked ideas...lol_

**~Enjoy~**

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Chapter 17

**Time Flies**

Bella POV

I remember once talking to the Cullens when it was explained to me that time to a vampire is measured much different than to that of a human. Of course, being human at the time there was no way to comprehend what they meant. As a human, there are quantifiable measurements that mark the passage of time – such as eating, sleeping and merely using the bathroom – "human moments" I had once aptly called them.

Vampires only need to eat once every couple of weeks as we mature beyond the first few months. It is incredibly disorienting to not feel hunger in the same fashion. Instead of a growling stomach we experience an intense burning that gets stronger as we become thirstier. If not satiated, the thirst can turn into a rage that becomes incontrollable, sending you into a frenzy until that precious crimson substance is finally consumed.

Being here under Maria's tyranny for the past eleven months has been torturous for me as well as the other poor souls that she has collected. Most of the newborns that were created at the same time as I have perished either under her greed for feeding territory or her order for the Major to dispatch of them upon their failure to perform. We were now into our third batch of newborns with me being the oldest among them.

It is hard for me to distinguish between Maria's cruel Major and the quiet and reserved Jasper that will occasionally make an appearance, a very rare occurrence that only happens around Peter and me. The Major is a very hard man and pushes us to our limits, demanding only the best and punishing anything sub-par.

He pushes me even harder than the rest, drilling me, making me the best newborn out of all of them, so as to insure that Maria never gets it into her head to get rid of me.

_~Fashback~_

_Peter and I had just left his tent, after our few days at the cabin __that was__ our getaway from this reality. He explained how Jasper would treat me and that I needed to fly below the radar to keep from getting punished. I took what he told me to heart but was completely unprepared for the reality of our situation. It is one thing to be told but another entirely to experience it. _

_Jasper called his group to him and told us to follow him to our training area. Once we arrived he had us spread around the circle with him in the center. He explained how our training would go. I could feel him sending out feelings of anticipation and excitement to us, getting us prepared. _

"_I want y'all ta listen close! I'll only tell ya once, an' if ya disobey, y'ill get disciplined, no questions asked." He __stated calmly but with total authority as he__ sent out feelings of compliancy. I saw all the others nodding to him in understanding. He turned around the circle looking each one of us in the eye then stopping at me. "I'm gonna push ya ta yer breakin' point an' yer gonna hate me, but yer gonna survive." He nodded to me, making sure I understood he was talking directly to me. I made a subtle nod in return and sent him my feelings of understanding. _

"_Now this's how it's gonna work. Fer the firs' few lessons, I'm'a gonna fight'cha an' gage yer weaknesses an' strengths. Then, yer gonna be paired up with the best suitable partner. Later, we will occasionally switch partners. Y'all're gonna do yer absolute best, 'cause at the end'a each week we're gonna have us a sparrin' match an' the losers're gonna be punished fer their failure. Ya' don't wanna lose, I assure ya!" he smirked at us all, making a shiver run up my spine. I knew what type of punishment awaiting those who lost. I was not a natural fighter, but I would be damned if I lost!_

"_My rules're simple. First, never attack each other outside'a our trainin'. Same goes fer m'Captain's trainees. Second, ya best give me all'a yer effort or y'ill be punished fer not tryin'. Third, If ya don't respect me, I'll take it as a personal insult, an' I promise y'ill wish ya were dead. An' if'n ya ever try ta attack me outside of sparrin' y'ill be dead in the slowest, most painful way imaginable," he hissed out. "Those're m'top three rules ta yer survival. I suggest ya ingrain'em in those infinite vampire memories y'all have 'cause if ya cross the line, there're no second chances or explanations, jus' punishment," __he finished his rules harshly__._

_After that, his mood seemed to shift a little towards anticipation and he began,__ "Now fer the fun! There're seven'a ya, so one'a ya unlucky shits is gonna have me fer a partner," he said with a smirked while looking at me. I did not have to guess who I would be paired up with and I was not looking forward to it. I very faintly remembered watching Jasper spar with Emmett. It was hard to follow at the time, but I do remember Jasper was damn near unbeatable. Even Edward with his mind reading ability had a hard time though he would not admit being defeated by Jasper. I think, however, that Jasper had mentioned that he had not been beaten by Edward. Jasper and I were not allowed near each other. Or maybe after further consideration it was that he did not want to let on that he already knew me. I mean really, if I am in his past then he should have known me. This whole time travel thing was really mind blowing. Even now with my expanded mind I had a hard time grasping the ramifications._

_Jasper pulled me out of my wandering newborn mind by pointing at me. "I think y'ill be first, since yer the only woman in my group. I wouldn't want anyone sayin' I'm not a gentleman," he chuckled at his own joke while the other males were trying to keep from chuckling as well…_assholes_. I stepped forward into the center of the circle facing Jasper. _

_He crouched down into a fighting stance and just watched me, waiting. I imitated his stance watching for any weakness that may present itself. A memory of him commenting after the match with Em came to my mind. He had said that Emmett fought like a newborn, all bulk and instinct, going for the obvious kill with no finesse or skill. I thought it was rather harsh at the time, but compare to this man that seems kind now. _

_It seemed he was not going to make the first move, so I did. I tried to keep my instincts in check. They told me to go straight for his neck for a quick decapitation. I knew that would land me on the ground in a jiffy, so I feigned right at the last moment, dropping to the ground trying to sweep his legs out from underneath him. He readied himself in anticipated of my first attack but as he was an expert at reading muscles, he quickly adjusted his position, jumping over my legs at the last minute. I jumped up to face him again but was too late. He caught me in the chest with a powerful punch, knocking me down so forcefully that a cloud of dust went in the air. Before I had time to react he was at my throat with a death blow. He smirked, "Yer dead. Tha' wasn't half bad fer a newborn. Again!" He breezed back to the center and crouched again. I was still trying to get orientated from the last match. _

_I finally stood to face him again, looking for another opening. I ran at him, trying to feign to the left, then deciding to jump over him, and finally at the last minute trying to punch him. It did not work he was like a machine being able to read every move before I made it and easily got hold of me. He twisted me around and below him. I tried to kick at him but he gripped my leg, bending it toward my back while holding my arm pinned I could not move. He again gave me a death blow. _

_Jasper was incredible, and I now fully understood how he had survived this long. He let me go, ignoring me this time and pointed to his next victim, "You next," he ordered. I went back to my spot and watched the next newborn attempt to take him down. He reminded me of just how Em had fought. I watched as all the others took turns trying to take him down. None succeeded even landing a punch. Jasper was lethal I had no doubt that he could fight all of us at once and still come out untouched. _

_~End Flashback~_

It had gone like this for the last eleven months, training, feeding, killing, and more training. It was a never ending cycle. Under the relentless training the Major gave me, I improved to the point where I could take on any of the others and take them down without much effort on my part. I could hold my own with the Major but he still beat me fairly easily. I had my doubts, however, that there were many that could fight him and live to tell the tale. Peter was the only one that I could think of as he was a very accomplished fighter. It made me proud that my mate was one of the few.

The battles always set me on edge. I did not like taking the lives of others that had as little choice as me. Many things in my life had drastically changed over the months, even feeding off of humans. I no longer even tried to feel the remorse that I knew was not there; it was pointless. I refused to become a sadistic monster like James had been, but I saw no wrong in hunting our natural prey. Peter finally got me to see reason on that point and I have adjusted well to his thinking. Have you ever watched Dexter? Well I am the proverbial "killer of killers," only hunting those that are deserving of death.

"Isabella," came my mate's voice from behind me. I turned to look at Peter who was beckoning me to where he and Jasper were standing. "We're meetin' with'r Mistress. She has orders fer us," he announced to the camp in general. He nodded to me letting me know the time we were waiting for had arrived. I was almost uncontrollably excited, causing the Major to shoot me a disapproving look, letting me know that I was showing it as well. He sent me some calming waves to get myself under control.

We all gathered in front of Maria's tent and awaited her to make her entrance. She had a thing for the theatrics. It was rather annoying and reminded me too much of Edward.

Finally, she exited the tent, making a big show of swishing her gown around like some southern belle. It was almost comical. "Tonight we are moving to the outskirts of Mexico City, prepare to move out. My Major and Captain will fill you in on what you need to know, just be ready to fight." She grinned in anticipation. I almost grinned at my own anticipation. Before long we would blow this popsicle stand.

She abruptly turned around and sauntered back into her tent, dismissing us to prepare to move out. Jasper and Peter motioned us to our normal conference area for our own briefing from them. They would not give details about who we were fighting, only how many, what to expect and how they wanted us arranged for the fight. It was nothing new for us, we rarely changed our formation.

I would be positioned in the back between Jasper and Peter with Maria in the rear behind her most fierce fighters. The disposables were in the front, mostly comprised of the newest and non-gifted, followed by the experienced and the gifted and then the three of us. No one ever made it past us and, with Jaspers training, rarely made it past our second line of defense.

After our meeting, Jasper gave us the next few hours off before we left. The others were all experienced enough to keep out of trouble so Jasper, Peter, and I took off to get out of ear shot for our own little powwow. Peter passed the word on to the other three that would be fighting with us to take down Maria. They left in separate directions as to not arouse suspicion. The rest of the camp thought that Peter and Jasper shared me, so no one thought us leaving together was suspicious in the least. That thought gave me the creeps.

We stopped at our designated spot and before long heard the footfalls of the others as they arrived. They came to a halt in front of us, eagerly waiting to hear what the plan would be. Jasper took over, as the natural leader. "Maria's decided t'go after Nettie and Lucy. It's as we've been expectin'. The battle'll be t'morra evenin', soon as they sense us in their territory. The Captain was spyin' on'em an' they were preparin' ta come t'us, so she decided ta make the firs' move. After the fight's over we'll take down Maria as well," he said with a growl. "I 'spect nothin' less'n success. Yer m'best three fighters an' with m'gift we should have no casualties. As fer the rest'a the newborns, once we remove Maria they'll have the choice ta leave peacefully 'r we take'em out. No lose ends! Understood?"

"Yes, Major," they all chorused together. Jasper dismissed them to go back to camp. Once they were out of ear shot he turned back to us "Isabella, I 'spect ya t'have me n' Pete both shielded, same as always."

Peter grabbed me around the waist, pulling me into him. "Of course Major, is there anything else?" I asked.

He thought for a minute before reminding me, "Jus' that, and a'course, stay close ta us." I nodded in agreement, like Peter would allow me anywhere else.

Jasper looked over my head to his brother and inquired, "What's yer gift tellin' ya?"

Peter took a moment before answering, "Ultimately, we'll be successful an' Maria'll be no more. But I think one'a yer soldiers is a'plannin' his own lil' rebellion against us," he said grimly.

Jasper furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he thought. "Daniel," he huffed out, "he feels like his emotions towards me're fake, like he's jus' playin' his part 'til he can take charge. I had a feelin', I jus' wanted ta confirm with ya. Anythin' else?"

"No, that's all m'gift's registerin' at the moment, I'll let'cha know if'n it changes any."

Jasper nodded. "I'll head back, give y'all some alone time. Don't be late!" he smirked at us before turning and running back to camp. We had a little less than two hours before we would have to be back.

Peter immediately spun me around in his arms, lifting me up to wrap my legs around his waist, while pushing my back up against a tree for leverage. He started to kiss my shoulder slowly, making his way up to my lips. I was already wet for him and I moaned at the feeling of his kisses. We always craved each other with a passion that I suspected would not dim, even after years together. We did not have much time or any extra clothes so he undid the back of my dress and lowered it below my breasts for him to nibble at. He was a tit man. I caressed his neck and shoulders, trying to hold back from tearing the material that was in my way.

His hands were roaming over my body, caressing my breasts and my ass, while I started bucking into his cock which was still hidden away from me. I quickly rectified that situation, unbuttoning his trousers and letting them pool around his feet, while he lifted my skirt over my legs so he could reach my wet core. He slipped one of his fingers in, teasing me, then another, pumping in and out before withdrawing to caress my ass again. I paid him back in turn, grabbing him and pumping a few times before lessening my grip, moving on to play with his balls. It drove him nuts when I teased him so mercilessly.

Finally, he had enough of the sweet torture and entered me. We both let out a moan of pleasure. Sex with Peter was always an amazing experience, whether it was a quick fuck or sensual love making. He kept a steady rhythm. I could feel my stomach start to tighten and my walls gripped him tighter spurring him on. He withdrew from me and flipped me onto the ground on my hands and knees. Entering me again he leaned on my back, kissing and nipping my neck while pinching my tits. This new position had him hitting my g-spot, and before long I could not contain myself any longer. I exploded with an intense orgasm that lasted for several minutes. When I came back to myself I realized that he was still leaning on me, catching an unneeded breath.

He pulled out and I moaned at the loss of contact. He gripped me by the waist and forcefully pulled me onto his stomach with my legs straddled on either side. "Common baby, ride me fer a while," he urged with a grin on his face. He was hard again already. There was something to be said about vampire stamina, we were always ready and rarely satisfied.

I happily complied and easily slid down on him, completely enjoying the sensation of him in me again. I would never tire of this feeling of loving and being loved. He pulled his knees up so he could buck against me creating a hard, fast rhythm. "God Isabella, you're amazin', woman! I will love ya fer the rest'a eternity an' beyond," he declared in his passion filled voice. I felt myself yet again going over the edge into oblivion, with him following closely behind. I collapsed on his chest.

"I love you, Peter," I breathed out as soon as I was able.

He tenderly pushed my hair out of the way and kissed me on the forehead "I love ya, too, darlin'," he assured me.

We got ourselves sorted, and cleaned up a bit before running back to camp. We made it just before we needed to be there and immediately went to stand by Jasper. Neither of us needed anything out of the tent. Before long, we took off with Jasper leading and Peter and I following up behind. Maria always stayed in the middle in case of attack. She was such a worthless bitch. It was a wonder she survived this long and I still am curious as to why no one ever took her down before. Peter said it was because she was good at spotting potential in humans, and as long as she controlled those with gifts, she could control the rest of her army. Jasper had by far been her diamond though, and as long as he was on her side no one would have had a chance, too bad for her that was at an end.

We arrived to our daytime hideout by dawn. We would stay there until the sun started to set and then go into Nettie and Lucy's territory. They were not supposed to be expecting us. However, in this world you did not count on anything going the way it was planned. More often than not, things fell through and adaptation was key to survival. Always expect the unexpected. I learned that early on, during my first battle.

_~Flashback~ _

_The Major had been keeping a close watch on the renegade group that Peter caught spying on our camp. They thought they were pulling a fast one and were planning an attack. Jasper decided to go after them right around my one month mark. We had been training hard and he felt we would have an easy victory. The plan was to sneak up on them and attack before they were even aware of our presence. Unfortunately, as we closed in on them, one of my comrades ran to them, thinking he would have a much better existence in their army. He effectively warned them enough that they were ready for us and our easy victory out the window. We were pretty evenly matched aside from the Major and Captain. They had little problems and came away with no new battle scars. I, on the other hand, gained ten new bites on my body aside from the previous three that I already had. Two newborns ganged up on me. Even with the Major's expert training I was not quite prepared to take on more than one at a time. Jasper and Peter did not allow me to use my shielding at all for fear that Maria will find out and try to dispose of me because of the danger I pose to her. The only time I was allowed to use it was if Pete and I were alone working on it or when we finally take Maria down. It would be sort of the grand finale. _Adios, bitch!

_~End Flashback~_

We spent the rest of the day low to the ground. Jasper and Peter stayed close to Maria as her protection detail. I stayed as close to Peter as I dared. I did not see the point in making friends with the others, they never survived long enough and it just hurt too much to keep trying when I knew the end result. It had been a challenge for Peter and me to maintain our relationship without anyone the wiser to our true connection to each other. Each battle we fought it nearly tore Peter apart having to watch me fight the others without stepping in, knowing that I was in mortal danger. He told me that if anyone got the better of me that I was to use my shield and to hell with the consequences. That was the only reason he could keep in control.

The day passed slowly by finally the sun started to go below the horizon and we were told to form our ranks. I positioned myself between Jasper and Peter. Jasper looked over at me and sent me a signal to put my shield up around us. We had devised a method of communication using his ability to throw emotions out to us. I raised an eye brow and sent him my confusion. He looked at me as only someone who is use to being obeyed without question can and sent me a strong sense of compliance, so I raised it around the three of us.

Peter and I had worked on my shielding capabilities every spare chance we could. We found that I had a very fine-tuned control over it and without much effort could physically cover anyone that I wanted within about five hundred yards of me. It reminded me of covering them in a second impenetrable skin that was connected to me by a thin line. At first I could only manage a large bubble but with practice and guidance now it is very pliable, taking any shape that I require.

The details of my shield were also quite amazing. It had two parts, physical and mental. With my physical shield I had the ability to determine its visibility and once I had it around someone or something I could manipulate that person or object. My mental shield, on the other hand, is quite different. When I cover someone, it is almost as if I sense their presence or aura in my mind and then cover them. Once I put it on someone I do not have to think about it again. It stays in place until I decide to remove it, and there are apparently no distance limitations.

Jasper ordered for us to follow the scents of our enemies and we were to stop once we were within a few miles of the city. We would remain there until they showed themselves. He was confident that we would not have to wait long for them to show up. It only took another hour for us to close in on the city. We stopped at an abandoned barn and waited for them to show up.

Jasper was right, of course, and we only had to wait another hour before we heard the whispered drumming of vampires making their way to our position. Jasper had us take formation facing the oncoming army we all waited in anticipation of battle to begin. We watched as they arrived with Nettie and Lucy in the back, much like Maria hid behind us, letting their army succeed or fail without any fear of getting hurt themselves and having the ability to run away as soon as they realized they were losing. When it came down to it, they were nothing but cowards hiding behind the lines.

They came to a halt facing us with several hundred yards stretched out between our armies. Nettie and Lucy called out to Maria, demanding to know the meaning of our encroachment upon their territory. They pulled two of their best fighters making their way to the center. Maria did the same but she took two of her gifted soldiers. Surprisingly it was not Jasper or Peter, which was odd. Jasper just smirked, obviously clued into what she was planning.

They stood together talking for few moments before Maria turned to us, grinning like a mad woman and cackled out, "Oh Major, how I'm going to miss you. You really shouldn't have turned against me. You see, one of your little coconspirators came running right to me and informed me of your plans. I knew I would need more to take you out so here we are."

She turned with her sisters and went behind their army while all of our former comrades turned on us. _Son of a bitch!_ Jasper smirk widened into a full grin, clearly not surprised at the turn of events. I wanted to smack him upside the head but figured it could wait.

He turned to me and drawled in his commanding tone, "Isabella, I want'cha ta hold our dear Daniel under yer shield, along with the three sisters. We wouldn't want'em skipin' out on all the fun, now would we?" he chuckled out. I just gave a slight nod back in amusement and did as he asked.

"Oh Daniel, yer gonna regret the day y'were born," Jasper growled out, while looking for the other two in the crowd. They would not meet our eyes, just pretending that they had nothing to do with wanting to take down Maria. "So be it," Jasper determined at their obvious lack of loyalty to him. "Y'all'll meet yer fate t'day." He did not bother making any other remarks.

The closest newborns crouched, ready to attack us. We waited patiently for them to make the first move. None of us where too worried about them, we were practically untouchable with my shielding.

The first wave of newborns made their move. Even with Jasper's and Peter's training they were no match for us. The gifted tended to rely too heavily on their gifts and it slowed them down, making them easy for us to pick off. They were the first to go.

Two newborns that I had trained with rushed me, the one staying slightly behind the other waiting for him to make his move before trying himself. The first one feigned to the right but I was quicker and anticipated him, catching him by the head as he moved to the left. I quickly bit into his neck and twisted his head off before he knew what hit him. I threw his remains in opposite directions immediately turning to the second who was making his move. He immediately slid trying to kick my legs out. I jumped over his head twisting during my spin to reach down and twist his head off while he slid beneath me.

I was assaulted by three more upon landing but these three were very inexperienced and lasted no more than three seconds each before they were decapitated and thrown out of my path. I looked over to see how my mate and Jasper were doing. They both had a nice pile of newborns around them, torn apart waiting to be fed to the flames. Peter looked up and winked at me with a smug grin plastered on his face, he was enjoying himself.

By this point there were only half the original army left and they all stood back watching. You could see the fear alight in their eyes. Finally, a few grew the courage to attack us. About ten rushed to us, three at me and the rest at my boys. They were more experienced than the last group, one of them even managed to get a hit in. Too bad, when he hit my shield he injured himself. He was so stunned that I quickly took him out. The other two took turns punching and kicking but I was always a step ahead of them. The one punched and I ducked out of the way so that he landed it on the opposite newborn which knocked him back bout thirty feet, significantly cracking his diamond skin. I knelt down while sweeping my foot out, taking the remaining newborn out and catching his arm as he tried to break his fall. I quickly twisted it off his body throwing it behind me as he screamed in agony. He was too distracted by the pain to avoid my next move which was to twist his head off. I threw the remaining parts away crouching for my next attacker.

The bodies piled up and the ground was becoming increasingly saturated with the venom of the defeated. Finally, all was quiet. Bodies littered the ground with the limbs wiggling around trying desperately to find their way back to their body.

I looked over to my boys, making sure that all was well. Both of them grinned at me in victory. Jasper then turned to Maria and just laughed at her. She was so stunned at the loss of her army that she could not even form words. I do not think she had even tried running yet.

Just as I thought that she turned and tried to run, only just then finding out that she was trapped in a clear cage. Her sisters found themselves in similar cages, all outraged, yelling and screaming to let them free. Jasper just shook his head blond curls bouncing and laughed at the predicament they were in. He turned back to me once he decided that he had enjoyed enough fun watching them beat against an invisible wall. "Isabella, would'ya do the honor'a gettin' rid'a Nettie n' Lucy? We really don't need 'em."

I felt the corners of my cheeks pull up in a grin knowing what he wanted. "I'd be honored," I said with some sass towards our captives. I quickly started closing in the bubbles on the two we did not need until their arms where pinned to their bodies. They were screaming to be released and that they would not ever cross us again. I kept tightening the bubbles and you could hear their bodies grinding against themselves. Maria was pleading and screaming for us to release them and that she would leave us be. Then it turned into threats as she shrieked that we would pay for what we did to them. Finally, she tried bargaining, as if she had anything that we wanted.

After a few minutes I decided that I had had enough fun and closed the bubble in so tight that their bodies could not hold up to the pressure. They crumbled into a million tiny pieces, just perfect to set fire to. I was not even sure if a vampire could be put back together after that. They were little more than dust piles now.

Maria let out a shrill screech. I almost felt sorry for her…almost. This was the woman who had killed thousands of our kind without a shred of remorse, and sentenced humans to this existence of killing and war with no thought to the cost other than her ambition for power. She was the one who had been more than pleased to torture and maim without any sign of regret. No, Maria enjoyed death, lived off of destruction and delighted in the suffering of others. This was her end and it would not be a pleasant one. Jasper and Peter had devised a fate for her that would be worse than death. I looked at both of them, just staring at Maria who was now completely shocked at what was left of her sisters. Both of them were wearing matching grins that could be described as nothing less than pure malevolence.

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**Thank you all for the wonderful comments you left last chapter, I really love reading them and appreciate every single one of them! **

**Next Chapter will be out soon so stick around...;)  
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	18. Consequences

**OMG... what's this another chapter! and So soon! did hell just freeze over, quick check the window, see if there are any flying pigs! **

**AN: All characters belong to the amazing SM, I just like to play...:)**

A Huge thank you goes out to my Beta Karisgrace!

Well here you go my lovelies, enjoy!

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Chapter 18

**Consequences**

Bella POV

Peter and Jasper were having a silent conversation – well argument really – about just what would be a good way to get rid of Maria. While Peter was all for torturing and burning, Jasper thought making it a long term punishment was better. Finally, like the little boys they reverted to, they decided on drawing sticks. I just stood there rolling my eyes at the two most feared vampires in the south. They were seriously going to dole out justice using sticks. Peter grabbed up a couple from the ground handing them to me. I turned from them making sure that this was fair and then presented them.

Jasper ended up winning and thus, Maria was going to be wishing for death for a very long time, years in fact. He would not let either Peter or myself in on his brand of justice saying, "You'll find out when I do it," while sporting a cheeky grin.

_Now, to take care of Daniel._ He was cowering in his little bubble trying to put as much distance between us as possible. _Idiot_. I decided to show him just how futile that was and started moving his bubble closer to us. He tried scrambling away but it was of no use of course. I just laughed at his antics of attempted escape. Finally he stopped; I suppose realizing that he was not going anywhere. "Well Dan, what do you have to say for yourself? You could have been free, but you chose Maria and I want to know why," I invite an explanation of him.

He just whimpered a bit. This vampire was just pathetic. He had known what would happen if we won, and now he whines when he has to face the consequences. Peter and Jasper did not bother speaking to him, just stared blankly with matching black eyes not bothering to even acknowledge his existence. Apparently, I would be deciding his fate. Despite the fact that he did betray us, I did not think that he deserved to be tortured – well, at least not like Maria would be – so I would make it relatively quick.

"Dan, if you don't answer my question, things are going to be much harder on you," I assured him and I made my point by using my shield to rip his arm off. "Inquiring minds want to know," I smirked. He screamed in pain, making to grab his injured arm. Too bad, I locked him in place so he could not even comfort himself with the gesture. "Next will be your other arm, then I'll move to the legs followed by your ears, nose and eyes. If I were you, I'd start talking," I explained threateningly. Apparently, he did not believe me because I had made it to his ears before he started blathering.

"She told me that I'd become her first in command once they were gone! She said she loved me and that I'd be her lover!" he whined at us.

I was dumbfounded. Staying with Maria in her sick world was better than freedom? What a moron. "Well, how's that working out for you?" I did not wait for him to answer. I was so pissed at his lame ass reason I just squashed him like a cockroach.

Peter wrapped his arms around me and kissed my ear while whispering in a sexy gruff voice, "Damn woman, yer so damn sexy when yer pissed." I could feel the corners of my mouth lifting and the start of a chuckle in my throat. Jasper sent a burst of impatience our way.

We both turned to see him rolling his eyes at us, obviously ready to get on with the show. Maria had not said a peep in the last few minutes. She seemed to be in shock; I had not even known that was possible for our kind.

We started a fire in the center of the battle field and quickly gather up the dismantled fighters, throwing them in. It was not long before all the remains of our battle were erased from sight. Then we set fire to the dust piles of the sisters and Daniel, leaving just Maria to deal with.

Jasper grinned evilly at her and told her almost tauntingly, "Well, now that all the riffraff's takin' care of, its time ta make ya pay fer yer crimes."

She looked at him, pleading with her eyes. "Please, just kill me!" she begged.

He chuckled darkly, "No, sorry. Yer not gonna get outta this that easily." He walked up with Peter at his side. "Isabella, release her if ya would, please," he instructed me. I did as he asked and she immediately tried to run as I did.

She only made it about five feet before Peter grabbed her by her hair, dragging her back to Jasper. He tsked at her like you would a naughty child. "Now, now, none'a that _Mistress_," Jasper sneered the word bitterly. "I wouldn't want'cha ta miss all the fun." He quickly grabbed her pinky, ripping it off throwing it into the now smoldering fire. "Pete 'n I reckon we owe ya fer all the years'a hell y'put us through." Peter nodded in agreement and took the hand on his side, ripping that pinky off, making sure that if found the fire as well. They ripped her apart taking turns until the only thing left was her head.

Once the fire was out and all that remained was ashes, we left running back to our camp. We arrived midmorning and immediately started tearing the place down, burning all that remained of Maria and her army. Once the fires were going we gathered what few possessions we wanted and ran to Peter's and my cabin. Over the past months we had stored supplies there for this day, the day we would forever leave this hell.

We all cleaned up and changed into more presentable clothes. We would now have to blend into the human populace. Jasper had been surprised at how prepared we were; he had been told but that is quite different than seeing our efforts first hand. Both my boys cleaned up quite well. I had never seen Jasper look so dashing and I had to tease him a bit. "Jasper, you may make me leave Pete for you. Damn, you clean up well," I announced with a cheeky smile on my face.

He grinned back and waggled his eyebrows at me. "Well, thank ya ma'am! I'd be honored ta have such a gorgeous woman on m'arm." He took my hand bringing it up to his lips, kissing my hand. It was one of the most lighthearted actions I had ever seen him make.

Peter let out a growl grabbing me around my waist pulling me tight against him. "No ya don't, brother. Git yer own woman! This'n's all mine, an' I don't share." He turned me, kissing me hard, declaring that I only belonged to him and him alone.

I could hear Jasper chuckling in the background, "Aw, come on, brother."

Peter just ignored him and continued assaulting my lips, making sure to show Jasper just how unlikely that would be. Finally he pulled away, winking at me before sobering some. "I suppose we need a plan," he decided. Jasper nodded in agreement.

I spoke up, voicing my opinion, "I think we should go to my ranch in El Paso. We can stay there for a while and that way we can see what's happening in the world right now." Both of them thought about it for a minute and I added, "Besides, I need to send a letter to my brother. I haven't been able to send one in a couple of months. He's probably worried.

Jasper scrunched up his face at that. "What'cha mean, 'haven't sent one in a couple of months?' Ya shouldn't'a sent any at all! We can't jus' waltz 'round in the human world. It's against our laws," he reproved indignantly.

I just scoffed at him. "Why not?" I argued lightly. "I see no harm in sending him a letter. He's living all the way in California. I'm not going to run up and visit, but he's young and I want to stay in contact for now. Eventually, we can fake my death, but for now I will write to him. Besides, it's against the law for humans to know about us, not for us to live in their world."

Peter just stayed out of it. We had already fought about this and he lost. Jasper would not fare any better. "Ya damned, headstrong woman! Fine," He huffed out, flinging his arms to his side to show just how irritated he was at the whole thing.

Peter spoke up, "Well, now we have that settled, how're we gonna blend in with the human's? Our eyes're crimson red, that ain't normal for humans. They'll run screamin' the firs' time they see 'em."

I thought about it for a moment. Contacts were out, they had not been invented yet. The only possibility was sunglasses. "Well then, we need to hide our eyes from them. We can just get some sunglasses." I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Both of them just stared at me completely blank, having no idea what I was talking about. "You know, dark colored glass set in frames – like glasses…er spectacles," I tried to explain. If they did not understand this then we were screwed. I was sure they were invented by now; I mean we were coming up on the twentieth century. Both of them seemed to grasp what was trying to convey.

Peter grinned, "Ya mean tinted spectacles." He seemed proud of himself.

I just smacked my palm against my forehead, "Yeah, tinted spectacles. I call them sunglasses."

Jasper piped in, "Where'd ya get that weird name from?" Neither Peter nor I had explained about me being from the future. Now was as good as any I suppose.

"Well, see it's like this. I'm not actually from this time. I was born in 1986, and by some fate found myself here," I tried to explain in such a way that I did not sound completely crazy.

Jasper was a bit slack jawed and it took a couple of minutes for him to get a hold of himself. "The future? Ya sure y'weren't injured when I turned ya?" He queried in a concerned voice.

My mate growled at the insinuation. "Oh, common Jasper, we're vampires for Chrissake. Why's time travel so farfetched?" I rolled my eyes at him.

Jasper lazily reached up to scratch his head, obviously thinking "That's true enough, I s'pose. So, from the future, huh?"

I smiled at him, the poor guy was trying. "Yep, I'm surprised you didn't suspect anything before with my speech and all."

He just shrugged, "Yer Northern." Like that was the answer for all of my abnormalities.

I just rolled my eyes again, "Yep, sure am. I don't see how that explains everything though."

"Jus' does," He huffed out.

Peter finally got us back on track, obviously wanting to change the subject. "So, 'bout the tinted spectacles, I agree that could work well durin' the day, an' durin' the night most people won't notice 'cause'a the dark."

Jasper nodded in agreement with his brother. I then thought of one other solution but I was not sure how receptive they would be to it. "Another option is hunting animals instead of humans. Our eyes would turn golden, then we could blend in much easier," I voiced somewhat reluctantly.

Both of them scrunched their faces up at the thought. Peter was the first to express his opinion, "Nope, ain't gonna happen, an yer crazy fer thinkin' it. Animals are foul."

Jasper, however, was a little more receptive. "It'd mean I wouldn't have ta deal with their emotions," he admitted grudgingly. He had become troubled with killing humans over the past year. Their emotions brought him down each time he had to feed. "Common Pete, I can't do it by m'self." He pouted to his brother, obviously wanting to give it a go.

Personally, I could go either way. Intellectually, I did not particularly want to be a killer, but I did not exactly feel any remorse when I fed either. I knew if Jasper kept it up, Peter would cave. He would do anything for his brother, even quite hunting humans. I just laughed at Jaspers antics.

Finally, after about an hour of Jasper making puppy dog eyes at his brother, which I personally found hilarious considering his imposing persona in general, Peter gave in. "Fine, how th'hell do we hunt damn animals?" he turned to me "Yer the one what brought it up, ya get ta go first," he grumped out.

I just smiled and tried to mollify him, "Oh, it's not going to be that bad. You make it sound like we are going to eat human food."

"I think that'd be better," He huffed.

I smiled indulgently at his disgruntled expression. "How about we give it a try, and if it doesn't work we can go back to hunting criminals?" I suggested.

Jasper bobbed his head in full agreement with my plan, while Peter barely nodded. He was just too cute when he was annoyed. "Well then, I guess I'll go first." I offered. "We should hunt before heading out, anyway."

"We'll follow behind ya," Jasper drawled out. Peter gave me a quick peck on the lips, "Good luck, darlin'. Yer gonna need it."

I went outside and started scenting the air around me. Nothing smelled appetizing in the least. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds surrounding me rather than the smells. I could hear faint heartbeats south of me, I started running in their direction. They became much louder the closer I got to them. The smell was still quite off-putting and I was not sure this was such a good idea after all. I decided to just hold my breath and focus on the heartbeats as they swished, pushing blood through the animal's body. I focused on how that sound drew out my monster and the need for blood, instead of the smell. Finally, I let that take over and I crouched down getting ready to pounce on the unsuspecting coyotes.

There was a pack of them lounging around their den. I quickly ran in and grabbed two of them, snapping their necks, and started drinking. The fur was in the way and quite disgusting. On the second one I grabbed a handful ripping it out to bare the skin. The taste of the blood was quite bland but I could deal with it if I had to. I had to admit, though, that I was with Peter on this one.

Jasper and Peter came closer. Jasper had an eyebrow raised in question. "It wasn't horrible, but I would much rather hunt humans. The whole fur thing is quite disgusting," I grimaced.

Peter burst out laughing at me, "Darlin', if that's the worst part then yer crazy. Their blood's repulsive!"

I shrugged, "I didn't think it was that bad, not very satisfying, but I can do it if I have to. Your turn, Jasper, since you want to do this so bad."

Peter and I stepped a few paces from him so he could concentrate on hunting. It was not long before he took off. We followed, keeping a safe distance. It was never a good idea to be close to a hunting vampire.

We came up on a small herd of deer that were quite scraggly looking. He quickly snapped all of their necks and started feeding, only taking minutes before all of them were drained. He did not look impressed in the least and Peter started laughing at him. "I hate the way humans feel," Jasper frowned, "but I'm not sure I can do this," he pointed at the now dead deer surrounding him.

Peter could not keep his mouth shut, "I d'know why ya can't jus' give 'em happy feelin's while ya hunt. Make 'em happy, or even just peaceful."

Jasper looked quite thoughtful, "I've never tried that. Couldn't hurt, if that doesn't work, though, I'm'a gonna have ta switch ta animals."

Peter nodded in agreement, "Sounds good ta me. Now let's go get us a real meal, an' get rid of Maria, too. I'm sick'a lookin' at her."

We ran back to the cabin, picking up our supplies and continuing on to my ranch. We made good time getting there and arrived just before sunrise the following morning. Everyone on the property was thankfully still asleep judging by the heartbeats.

We made our way to the house. It looked like the workers had kept everything well maintained for me. Along with writing to Luke regularly I kept in touch with Mr. Dawson my lawyer, letting him know that I did intend to come back, and that I was still with my dying relative in Boston.

The interior of the house was very clean with little lingering dust. Someone obviously came in regularly to clean. All the furniture had dust sheets over them so we started pulling them off, beginning in the dining room and finishing up with the bedrooms. It did not take long before we were finished, vampire speed really made things easier.

Once finished we just relaxed. It was so nice knowing that we could fully relax never having to take part in the Southern Wars again. Jasper was lounging in a chair by the fire place while Peter and I were cuddled up on the loveseat.

"Jasper, you can choose which room you want. There's the one right down the hall from us and then the other one across the courtyard for guests."

He did not even have to think about it. "I'll take the guest room. I wanna be as far from y'all as I can," he finished by scrunching his face up in distaste.

Peter just laughed at him, "Like that's gonna help."

Jasper scowled, "Well it's better'n bein' right down the hall."

"True," Peter agreed mirthfully.

I was trying, quite unsuccessfully, to keep from giggling at the whole thing. Peter started chuckling at my efforts, which led me to flat out belly laughing. Soon Jasper, who could not keep the emotions from affecting himself, started laughing as well.

Finally, after a few minutes we all settled down. I decided to go see how Miro was doing. I was not sure how he would react to me, but I wanted to try. I let the boys know before heading out the house to the stable. The humans had already been about taken care of him and left to do other work. Luckily, the barn was still cast heavily in shadows. I quietly made my way to the door, slowly opening it to test the waters.

Miro snorted and raised his head but did not seem too distressed, so I slowly made my way inside. He stood in his stall just watching me. He snorted a bit but stood his ground. I walked up to his stall and murmured softly, "Easy boy, it's just me. I know I'm different but I won't hurt you." I kept talking to him as I made my way closer. He kept his ears forward closely watching my every move, but stood keeping his ground. Once I was standing in front of him he took a few steps closer, he seemed to remember me and relaxed a little. "Hey there, how's my boy been?" He reached his nose out to delicately lip at my fingers looking for treats. Finally, deciding I was not a threat, he walked up to me, nosing my hair while I pet him on the neck and scratched at his itches. I was so thankful that he was not scared. I had really missed him; although I had not been into horses as a child, I had grown rather fond of them.

I smelled Peter behind me as he slowly made his way up towards me. "Well, I'll be damned. I think yer horse's brain dead," he joked.

I turned and slapped him on the shoulder "Be quite, you! He just remembers me." Peter reached out and started scratching his neck and chest. Miro was thoroughly content. He stretched his head up high, his eyes rolled back, and his lip twitching showing just how amazing it felt to him. When he decided he had received enough attention, he went back to happily eating his breakfast. He looked quite fat and happy, I was glad they were taking such good care of him.

Peter led me away from him and we went back into the house, encasing ourselves in the bedroom.

Jasper POV

There had been many a time over the years that I had fantasized about bein' rid of Maria, but to actually have it happen was an incredible feelin', more than I had ever thought it would be. Sure we still had her head in a sack but the rest of her was gone There would be no way for her to come back from that. I smiled to myself in anticipation of what I had planned for her remains. Peter said I got to pick out her final punishment and I had a good one thought out. I hadn't even told Pete about it yet. I know he'll love it though.

I heard Bella and Pete come in from the barn and they went directly into their bedroom. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. They would be gone for the rest of the day if not longer knowin' them. It's amazin' that Maria never got suspicious of them; of course she was too worried about me tryin' to overthrow her. She had been growin' increasingly wary of me over the last few years. I'm actually surprised that she didn't try gettin' rid of me before. Of course, she would've had to deal with my brother as well, and she knew that she'd very likely lose. Her little plan with her sisters was a good one and may have actually worked if not for Bella. Thank God she had her shield to protect all of us. It made the battle almost too easy.

I decided to go see my room. The house was stunnin', just large enough to be roomy but still have a homey, invitin' feelin' about it. The room was a decent sized with a queen sized poster bed in the center, an armoire off to the side and a writing desk on the opposite wall.

I went and sat on the bed, pullin' my little satchel with me. I went through my meager belongin's, just goin' over the memories that were attached to each item. I had a tin picture of myself dressed up in my uniform. It was taken the day I'd been promoted to Major. My family had been so excited. Peter was just a boy, but he had been my best friend. I was incredibly happy that he had found his mate, but I felt lonely at the same time. Nothin' would be the same now.

I packed everythin' back in my bag, settin' it on the floor beside me, and lay down on the bed, lost in my thoughts and tryin' to ignore the sounds comin' from the main house. I wasn't a prude by any means but I didn't want to hear my brother goin' at it, either.

Xxxxxxx Break xxxxxxX

Around midnight Peter and Bella finally came out of their bedroom and came to the study where I was currently lookin' over her collection of books. Peter sat down in one of the chairs, pullin' Bella into his lap and circlin' her waist so she couldn't get away. "So, we gonna git rid'a the head now?" he excitedly asked.

"Yeah, an' I think we should leave soon. Most everyone's prob'ly sleepin' now. I was thinkin' we could go ta the store an' get some'a them spectacles, hopefully they'll have some in stock."

Bella frowned, "The store will be closed, though, and I don't like the thought of stealing."

"We don't have ta steal. We'll jus' leave money fer 'em at the register." I thought it was the lesser of two evils.

She still wasn't very happy with the idea though. "I suppose if we have to. It's not like we can go in there during the day. Plus, we can't see anyone without the glasses, not without them freaking out anyway. Alright, let me go grab some cash," she finally conceded. Peter kissed her cheek before lettin' her up to go get the money.

"So, what'cha plannin' for the head? I know it's somethin' good." He tapped his head, lettin' me know his gift informed him of that much.

I just grinned, "All in due time. Y'ill like it an' it'll be a way fer us to not lose track'a where she's at. That, an' so no humans'll find it. First, I wanna hunt, though. Those deer jus' didn't do it fer me," I admitted. Peter just smirked.

Bella came back in and she now had a handbag with her. "Alright, I'm ready to go when you are," she announced.

Pete and I stood up, makin' our way out, with Bella close behind. I grabbed the head on the way out the door. We ran to the outskirts of town, and waited outside of a saloon for our meals to show up. There was really no better place. Most men out at this time of night were outlaws lookin' to cause trouble.

We all broke up, goin' in different directions, waitin' for our prey to leave the saloon. After a short while, a group of men left. I saw Peter in the alley across from me waitin' patiently. He then started trailin' one of them.

I grabbed my meal up after he wandered down my way. I tried what Pete had told me to do and filled him with all kind of good, happy emotions. It made it much better on me, but underneath that I could still feel his fear. Finally he was gone and I let out a sigh. The blood may taste better, but it was useless. If I hunted humans I was just gonna have to deal with their emotions and the animal blood was a weak substitution.

I grabbed the man and made my way to the cemetery where we had all agreed to meet when finished. They were standin' there waitin' for me to arrive; their meals were both layin' on the ground beside them.

"Alright Jasper, what exactly are we doing here?" Bella asked. She was throwin' out a lot of confusion, while Peter, on the other hand, was feelin' anticipation and excitement. He obviously had figured my idea out.

"First off, look fer a grave that's fresh," I instructed. We started lookin' around for one that appeared to have just been filled in. Bella was in the back when she called out that she had found one.

"Pete, go'n grab our meals while I dig." Bella stood off to the side while I dug the grave out. Peter dropped the bodies beside us then jumped in and started helpin'. We hit the coffin before long and hoisted it outta the hole. We started makin' it larger, so that bodies and the coffin would all fit back in. "A'right, that looks good there. Bella hand us the bodies, would'ya?"

She finally caught onto what we were doin' and started laughin'. "This is great!" she giggled.

She gave us the bodies and then handed us the head. I took it out and smiled, "Hello there, Maria! How're ya feelin'?" She couldn't speak but her mouth was movin', silently pleadin' for us to end her. _Not likely!_ "Aw, common now, won't be that bad. We're even givin' ya some friends ta keep ya comp'ny. We'll be back in a few years an' be sure ta bring some more." The rot of human corpses would be horrid, then the bugs would set in, crawlin' all around her. Maria had an aversion to bugs, even as a vampire. Now they'd be crawlin' all over her. Maybe someday we'd finally end her, but not for a long while.

We all said our farewells to her before I positioned her right in the middle of the bodies and put the coffin back on top. We filled the grave in, makin' sure to see who was buried here so we could dig her back up in the future, maybe ten years from now. Both Peter and Bella were gigglin' like little schoolgirls. I couldn't help but join in.

We went to the general store and broke in through the back door. With all of us lookin' for the spectacles it didn' take long. They had a small selection. I chose green ones, Peter went with dark brown and Bella went with a dark rose color. She said they were more feminine. We left money on the counter and hightailed it back to the house as the sky started to lighten.

Bella POV

There were no words for the punishment that Jasper had thought up. I had a shiver going up my spine at the idea of it. During our night out I left a letter for my lawyer, Mr. Dawson, letting him know I was in town and that I would like to see him and asked if he could come to the house at his earliest convenience. I was not sure how long we would be staying, I did not think for long, and I wanted to get everything squared away for when we left again.

I went into the study, deciding to read for a while. Peter and Jasper were in the living room hanging out together and I did not want to intrude. I knew how hard it was on Jasper to have me thrust in their lives when it had been just the two of them before.

I heard a buggy coming up our lane at about ten in the morning and guessed that it was Mr. Dawson. _He didn't waste much time_, I chuckled to myself. Peter and Jasper rushed into the room, looking a bit ruffled. "Relax, it's just my lawyer," I assured them. "I left him a note asking him to come out. I need to speak to him about what's been happening with my property while I've been gone."

Both of them visibly calmed slightly but Jasper frowned. He was not happy to be rubbing elbows with humans. "We're going to be using the study, so if you don't want to be here I'd leave." He immediately turned and retreated, making himself scarce. It did not really matter if he was in the room or not, he would be able to hear the whole conversation from anywhere in the house anyway.

Peter stood there, obviously not wanting me talking to another man alone. "Alright Mr. Whitlock, but you had better behave yourself, and no growling at the human," I have him a stern look.

"Who me, darlin'? I always behave myself," he assured with a ridiculous amount of false innocence on his face. He pulled me to him, wrapping me in a tight hug kissing my head. "I love ya, darlin', an' I promise, no growlin' at the human."

I pulled back nodding at him in acceptance, "Well, how am I to introduce you to my lawyer?" I asked coyly.

He grinned, "I was hopin' ya'd introduce me as yer husband, Mrs. Whitlock."

I squealed, jumping into his arms, "Is that a proposal? If it is, I accept."

He grinned like a school boy and kissed me firmly, "Darlin', I love ya an' I wanna live fer eternity – 'r however long we're granted – by yer side." He kissed me passionately.

We heard a knock at the front door. "That's probably him. I'll go answer it," I told him. He loosened his grip, allowing me to leave the security of his arms. I grabbed my spectacles on the way out and put them in place, quickly checking the mirror to make sure they covered my eyes.

I answered the door to find Mr. Dawson standing there, cane in hand patiently waiting. "Hello, Ms. Swan. It is good to see you."

"You as well Mr. Dawson, but its Mrs. Whitlock now, I've just been married." I smiled at the man. "Do come in," I ushered him in to the foyer. He had his hat in hand. "Would you allow me to take your hat and coat for you?"

He handed both over. "Why thank you Mrs. Whitlock, and congratulations," he offered at my news. I hung his items up beside the door then showed him to the study. Peter was sitting behind my desk. I just glared at him. Apparently, he wanted to handle the meeting. I was going to throttle him later as he had no right stepping into my business. I was more than capable of handling my own damn affairs.

He quickly stood as we entered, walking around the desk. "Mr. Dawson, I would like you to meet my husband, Mr. Peter Whitlock," I introduced them. Mr. Dawson put his hand out for Peter to shake, "It's a pleasure, Mr. Whitlock. I'm sure you are aware that I have been looking after your wife's estate." He quickly pulled his hand away, as his heart started racing. He was definitely scared of Peter, which was funny because he did not react that way to my presence. Men must simply be more trusting of females, even if they should not be.

Peter nodded, "Yes, Mr. Dawson, she's informed me. I'll be takin' over fer her, I was hopin' ya'd update us on the current condition of the ranch as well as any pertinent information that we ought ta know. We'll only be here fer a short time b'fore leavin' again."

Mr. Dawson nodded his head, "Yes, I can certainly update you on the current affairs of the ranch. In all honesty, everything has been running quite smoothly. All the workers are performing well and keeping everything in order. Have you spoken to the foreman yet?"

Peter shook his head, "No, we arrived quite late last night an' haven't had a chance ta speak with 'em yet. We will once we finish here. How're we doing financially?"

Mr. Dawson smiled, "Oh, everything is quite fine I assure you. I still have more than enough to cover the expenses of me keeping an eye on the place. I haven't really had to do much over the past year. Like I mentioned earlier it has been a quiet year."

Peter nodded approvingly, "That's good ta hear. I'm glad things've been quiet. I s'pose that's everytin' then. Thank ya fer comin'." They shook hands again before Mr. Dawson stood to leave, he seemed quite anxious to get out of Peter's presence.

I jumped in as we stood, "Could I offer you any refreshments before you leave?"

"No, thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Whitlock, but I best be on my way. Oh, and before I forget, I have a few letters from your brother that were forwarded to my office," he informed me as he handed me the letters They were wrapped together with string. "Well, I best be on my way. I hope you have a safe journey when you leave."

I showed him to the door and handed him his coat and hat, which he donned "Have a pleasant drive, Mr. Dawson, and thank you again for coming." He smiled politely, tipping his hat and turned to go out the front gate to where his buggy was tied.

I turned and went back to the study, ready to give my husband a what-for. He was grinning like the Cheshire cat when I stormed in the room. "Well now, darlin', what's got yer panties all twisted?"

"You, you big oaf! Why exactly did you feel that it was your place to talk to _my_ lawyer, about _my_ ranch?"

He just grinned, "Now darlin', yer gonna be m'wife, an' as the man it's my duty ta handle the business affairs."

Oh, I was pissed now! "Peter, you can kiss my lily-white ass! This may be the past but I'm from the future. I can handle my own damn business affairs."

He just smiled even wider, provoking me even further. I was just about to haul off and deck the son of a bitch when he burst out laughing. " I know, but, God damn woman, yer so damn sexy when yer pissed. I couldn't help m'self."

_If that's how he wanted to play it, fine. Payback time._ I launched myself at him, kissing his neck, hitting all his sweet spots. He started moaning and purring in pleasure. He gripped me tightly, pulling me flush against him. I wiggled my hand down and started rubbing him through his pants until he was so hard his cock was straining against the material.

I suddenly pushed myself away and he gave me a quizzical look. "Sorry _darlin'_, I couldn't help myself. You are so damn sexy when you're frustrated," I all but cackled with a wink then turned to walk out the door, leaving a stunned, frustrated man behind.

* * *

A huge, humungous, enormous, gigantous (wait is that a word?) Thank You, goes out to everyone who commented you guys are fantastic, amazing, incredible, need I go on...lol

Seriously though, from the bottom of my heart Thank you for making my day brighter by leaving a little comment, It makes me smile like lunatic...:D


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